An endorsement changes the actual policy
An endorsement is an added policy document that changes coverage or a policy condition. A customer may ask for both a certificate and copies of specific endorsements. The certificate gives them a summary; the endorsements help show that the required protection exists.
Think of the certificate as the cover sheet to the insurance documents. If the cover sheet says a customer is protected but the policy does not provide that protection, the cover sheet cannot fix the missing coverage. That is why we need the actual requirements, not just an instruction to add a sentence to the certificate.
Why a customer wants to be an additional insured
An additional insured is another person or organization that receives specified coverage under your policy. A general contractor may ask for this because an accident involving your work could lead to a claim against both your company and theirs.
For example, your crew’s material falls and injures a visitor. The visitor alleges your company and the general contractor are responsible. An applicable additional-insured endorsement may provide protection to the general contractor for the liability described in that endorsement.
The protection has boundaries. It is not a separate policy for all of the customer’s business, and it generally shares your policy’s limits. The named insured, usually your business, remains different from the additional insured.
Ongoing and completed operations cover different stages of a job
Ongoing operations means the work while you are performing it. Completed operations concerns injury or property damage arising from finished work. Customers often request both because a problem can happen during construction or after they begin using what you installed.
Blanket additional insured does not mean every customer automatically qualifies
A scheduled endorsement names the person or organization to be included. A blanket endorsement can cover parties who meet a description or a set of conditions, often involving a written agreement.
For example, the endorsement may require a written contract signed before work begins. If that condition is missing, a broad-sounding blanket label may not help. We check who qualifies, what work is involved and whether ongoing and completed operations are both included.
Two other requests that often appear beside additional insured
Primary and noncontributory addresses how your policy works with the customer’s insurance. In plain terms, the customer wants your applicable coverage to respond first and not ask their policy to share the covered payment.
A waiver of subrogation addresses what happens after an insurer pays. It limits the insurer’s ability to seek repayment from a specified party responsible for the loss. A waiver on general liability does not automatically provide a workers’ compensation waiver. Each request needs to be checked on the appropriate policy.
What to send, and what happens next
Send the customer’s exact legal name and address, the full insurance requirements, the job description and the date the documents are due. Include attachments naming endorsement forms. If the customer rejected an earlier certificate, send the reason as well.
We compare the request with the policies, identify any missing endorsement or limit, and check whether the insurer can provide the change and at what cost. Once the necessary coverage is in place, the certificate can accurately reflect it. This sequence helps avoid repeated rejections or a delay at the jobsite.
A request for cancellation notice also needs a review of the policy’s notice provisions. A certificate entry cannot promise a notice period the insurer has not agreed to provide.