Certificates of insurance provide information about your general liability, automobile liability, umbrella, workers compensation, professional liability, and cyber liability insurance policies. The information provided is the type of policy, the insurance company, policy number, effective dates, and limits on each policy.
There are a few items to keep in mind when you receive requests from your architecture/engineering firm’s client.
Your firm’s client cannot be an additional insured on professional liability. This may be possible on the general liability, automobile liability and umbrella policies, but it is not possible on the professional liability policy.
The certificate of insurance does not replace the policies themselves. The certificate of insurance is just a highlight of the limits, effective date, and policy number.
Your firm’s client may request that policy language is included on the certificate of insurance. This may not be possible, depending on the language requested. Additional insured and waiver of subrogation typically can be added on the certificate of insurance. Other language may not be possible, depending on what is requested.
The project number may be included in the description of operations. However, keep in mind that the policy limits are not specific to the project, they are limits for all projects, unless otherwise noted.
Only the named insured can be listed on the certificate of insurance as the insured. Requests may be received to list another entity other than the named insured and that is not possible to do.
Certificate holder box is limited in space. If your firm receives a request to list several certificate holders that can be added to the description of operations box.
If your firm has any questions on what can or cannot be included in a certificate of insurance, please call, or email, your Professional Underwriter agent for assistance.