- The certificate holder is whoever the certificate is addressed to. It gives you information, not coverage.
- An additional insured is a party the sub's policy actually covers, for claims that come out of the sub's work. It takes an endorsement on the policy.
- On a sub's certificate you usually want to be both.
- The proof of additional insured status is the endorsement, not the certificate.
The difference, side by side
Certificate holder
- What it is
- The person or company the certificate is issued to.
- Where it shows
- The "Certificate holder" box at the bottom left of the ACORD 25.
- What it gives you
- Evidence that the sub had the policies listed, on the day the certificate was issued.
- What it doesn't
- Any coverage under the sub's policy, or a reliable promise that you'll be told if it's cancelled.
Additional insured
- What it is
- A party added to the sub's policy, usually general liability, by an endorsement.
- Where it shows
- A "Y" in the
ADDL INSRcolumn and wording in the description box, backed by the endorsement itself. - What it gives you
- Coverage under the sub's policy for claims arising from the sub's work, within the endorsement's terms.
- What it takes
- Your subcontract requiring it, and the sub's insurer adding the endorsement.
Why it matters
Say a sub's crew leaves materials where a visitor trips, and the visitor sues you as the general contractor along with the sub. If you're an additional insured on the sub's general liability policy, you can turn to the sub's insurer to defend and cover you for that claim, subject to the endorsement's terms. If you're only the certificate holder, the claim goes to your own policy: your deductible, your loss history, your next renewal.
That's the whole point of asking subs for insurance: claims from their work should land on their policy, not yours. Being a certificate holder alone doesn't do that.
How to tell which you are on a certificate
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Find your name in the certificate holder box
Your exact legal name and address. This only tells you the certificate was issued to you.
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Look at the
ADDL INSRcolumnOn the general liability row, and on auto and umbrella if your contract requires those too. A "Y" means the agent says the policy includes additional insureds. Blank means it doesn't.
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Read the description of operations
It should say who is an additional insured: you, and often the owner and others your contract names, with the project. Check the names match your contract exactly.
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Ask for the endorsement
The certificate itself says additional insured status depends on the policy or an endorsement. Ask the agent for a copy and read who it covers and for what.
What to ask for
Your subcontract decides, but GCs commonly require:
- Additional insured on general liability for ongoing operations, covering claims while the work is under way (often ISO form
CG 20 10, or a blanket form). - And for completed operations, covering claims that come up after the job is finished (often
CG 20 37). Defects and injuries can surface years later. - Primary and noncontributory, so the sub's policy pays first instead of splitting the claim with yours (often
CG 20 01). - On auto and umbrella too, if your contract requires it.
- Everyone your contract names: often the owner, and sometimes the lender or architect, not only you.
Blanket or named? A blanket endorsement covers anyone the sub has agreed in a written contract to add, so you won't see your name on it. It usually only works if the contract was signed before the work began. A scheduled endorsement names you specifically. Either can be fine; a signed subcontract matters for both.
Workers' compensation doesn't use additional insureds. There, the usual ask is a waiver of subrogation; our certificate checklist covers it.
Common mistakes
- Treating your name in the certificate holder box as proof of coverage.
- Accepting "certificate holder is additional insured" in the description box without seeing the endorsement.
- Additional insured for ongoing operations only, when your contract also requires completed operations.
- Your company's name is slightly wrong, or a related entity is listed instead of the one that signed the contract.
- The owner is missing, though your contract with the owner requires that they be added too.
- A blanket endorsement, but the subcontract wasn't signed until after the sub started work.
See it on every sub, at a glance
When you upload a certificate, Kautus reads whether you're listed as an additional insured, along with the carrier, limits and expiration date, and keeps it on each sub's record. It tracks every expiration and emails the sub before coverage lapses.
Kautus opens January 1, 2027, with a free trial and no card required.
Register for launchCommon questions
Can I be both certificate holder and additional insured?
Yes, and on a sub's certificate you usually should be. The certificate is addressed to you as holder, and the policy covers you as an additional insured.
What's the difference between an additional insured and a named insured?
The named insured is the sub, the policyholder who bought the policy. An additional insured is a party the policy also covers, usually only for claims connected to the named insured's work.
Does being certificate holder mean I'll be told if the policy is cancelled?
Not reliably. The standard certificate says notice will go out according to the policy's own terms, which often means no notice to you. Track the expiration dates yourself.
Who adds me as an additional insured?
The sub's insurer, through the sub's agent. Your subcontract should require it; the sub then asks its agent to add the endorsement and issue a certificate that shows it.
Related guides
This guide is general information for general contractors, not legal or insurance advice. What coverage an additional insured endorsement gives depends on its exact wording; your insurance broker or attorney can review the endorsements and requirements for your projects.