The COI Requirements Checklist Every Property Manager Needs

Why You Need a COI Requirements Checklist

Missing even a single requirement on a certificate of insurance can leave your organization exposed to significant liability. When a vendor's COI is missing an additional insured endorsement or lists the wrong certificate holder, you lose the protection that insurance is supposed to provide. The problem compounds when you manage dozens or hundreds of vendors — it becomes impossible to remember every requirement for every trade.

A standardized COI requirements checklist solves this by creating a repeatable verification process. Every team member follows the same steps. Nothing gets overlooked. New hires can be trained on the checklist in under an hour and immediately start verifying certificates with confidence. The checklist also creates an audit trail — each completed checklist filed alongside the COI proves that your organization performed due diligence.

Property managers, construction project managers, facility directors, and compliance officers all face the same challenge: insurance certificates look correct at first glance, but subtle omissions are easy to miss. A checklist catches what your eyes might skip.

What's on the Checklist

Our COI requirements checklist walks you through 12 verification items that cover every critical element of a certificate of insurance. Here's what you'll verify:

1. Named insured matches the vendor. Confirm the entity name on the COI exactly matches your vendor's legal business name. Mismatches — even slight ones — can void coverage.
2. Certificate holder is your organization. Your legal entity name, address, and any required attention lines must appear correctly in the certificate holder field.
3. General liability limits meet your minimum. Verify that each occurrence limit and aggregate limit meets or exceeds the thresholds defined in your vendor contract.
4. Policy effective date is current. The effective date must be on or before the date the vendor starts work or is expected to be on your property.
5. Policy expiration date hasn't passed. An expired COI is the single most common compliance failure. Check the expiration date first.
6. Additional insured endorsement is included. Without this endorsement — and ideally the associated endorsement form number — you are not covered under the vendor's policy.
7. Waiver of subrogation if required. If your vendor contract or lease requires a waiver of subrogation, verify it's reflected on the certificate. Check the checkbox and/or endorsement field.
8. Workers' compensation coverage (if applicable). Any vendor with employees working on your premises must carry workers' compensation insurance. Verify coverage limits and the insurer name.
9. Auto liability (if vendor drives). If the vendor operates vehicles on your property as part of their work — delivery, hauling, mobile service — verify commercial auto liability coverage with adequate limits.
10. Umbrella/excess liability (if required). For higher-risk trades or projects, confirm that umbrella or excess liability coverage is in place above the primary general liability limits.
11. Description of operations is filled out. A blank description of operations field is a red flag. It should describe the work the vendor will perform, your property address, and any reference to your contract.
12. Form is signed by an authorized representative. An unsigned certificate is invalid. Look for the signature block and printed name of the insurer's authorized representative or agent.

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Trade-Specific Requirements

Different trades carry different risk profiles — and different insurance requirements. Our checklist includes trade-specific sections so you're not applying the same standard to a landscaper that you apply to a roofer.

• Electricians typically need higher general liability limits ($2M+ per occurrence) due to fire and electrocution risk. Verify professional liability or errors and omissions coverage if they provide design services.
• Plumbers should carry completed operations coverage for water damage claims that manifest after work is finished. Confirm that the additional insured endorsement extends through completed operations.
• HVAC contractors often work at heights and handle refrigerants. Verify general liability, workers' compensation, and — if they do installations — installation floater coverage.
• Roofers are among the highest-risk trades. Minimum $2M general liability per occurrence is standard. Many properties also require $5M umbrella coverage. Fall protection compliance should be reflected in their insurance documentation.
• Janitorial and cleaning services may seem low-risk, but slip-and-fall claims are common. Verify general liability with at least $1M per occurrence and ensure your property is listed as additional insured.
• Landscapers using equipment like mowers, blowers, and chainsaws need general liability covering property damage. If they apply chemicals or fertilizers, verify pollution liability or pesticide applicator coverage.

How to Use This Checklist

The checklist is designed to take under five minutes per certificate once you're familiar with it. Follow these steps:

1. Download and print (or open the digital version on your device). Keep a stack of printed checklists handy or bookmark the digital form.
2. Have a vendor's COI ready — either the physical ACORD 25 form or a digital copy. Lay it side by side with the checklist.
3. Go through each of the 12 items in order. The checklist items are arranged to mirror the ACORD 25 layout, so you verify the certificate from top to bottom.
4. Mark pass or fail for each item. Use the checkboxes on the printed version or the dropdown on the digital version. Be honest — a fail now prevents a problem later.
5. If any item fails, flag the vendor and request a corrected COI. Send the specific item number that failed so the vendor or their agent knows exactly what to fix.
6. File the completed checklist with the COI. If you use COI tracking software, attach the checklist as a supporting document. Completed checklists are valuable during insurance audits.

Common COI Mistakes This Checklist Catches

After reviewing thousands of certificates, certain errors appear over and over again. Here are the most common COI mistakes — and how the checklist catches each one:

• Wrong named insured. The vendor's insurance certificate lists a parent company, a DBA name, or an outdated entity. Your checklist's first verification item stops this immediately.
• Expired policy dates. A vendor hands you a certificate and the policy expired last month. The effective and expiration date checks catch this before the vendor starts work.
• Missing additional insured endorsement. Probably the single most expensive omission. Without it, your organization is not protected by the vendor's policy. The checklist dedicates a specific verification item to this.
• Insufficient limits. A vendor carries $500K general liability but your contract requires $1M. The coverage limits verification item forces a side-by-side comparison with your contract requirements.
• Unsigned forms. Certificates missing the authorized representative signature are not legally binding. The signature check at item 12 verifies this in seconds.
• Incorrect certificate holder. The vendor lists your property name but gets the legal entity wrong, or addresses it to the wrong management office. The certificate holder verification catches these errors on first review.

Verification Standards & Industry Guidance

• ACORD — The official standards body for insurance forms including ACORD 25, 27, and 28. acord.org
• NAIC — National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Regulatory guidance on certificates of insurance. content.naic.org
• IRMI — International Risk Management Institute. Expert guidance on COI verification and contractual risk transfer. irmi.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Resources

• ACORD 25 Certificate of Insurance — Complete Guide — Learn how to read every field on the industry-standard COI form.
• Free COI Tracking Spreadsheet Template — Excel and Google Sheets template for tracking vendor insurance expiration dates.
• Certificate of Insurance Compliance Guide — Best practices for maintaining 100% vendor COI compliance.