Additional insured vs certificate holder: what is the difference?

Updated October 2026. Written for US construction and property firms.

These two terms appear on the same certificate and get mixed up all the time. The difference decides whether your company is protected when a subcontractor causes a loss.

What is the difference between a certificate holder and an additional insured?

A certificate holder only receives the certificate as proof the policy exists and has no coverage under it. An additional insured is added to the policy by endorsement and has actual coverage rights under it. The COI alone does not prove additional insured status: ask for the endorsement.

What is an additional insured?

An additional insured is a person or business added to someone else's insurance policy through an endorsement. If a subcontractor names the general contractor as additional insured and the sub causes damage, the GC can claim directly under the sub's policy.

Why does additional insured status matter on a claim?

It decides whose policy pays first. Say a sub's worker leaves a trench open and a visitor falls in. The visitor often sues you as the general contractor. If you are an additional insured, the sub's insurer defends you and pays. If you are only the certificate holder, your own policy and premium take the hit.

That is why most subcontracts require additional insured status for the general contractor and often the property owner. Many also require it to be "primary and noncontributory". That phrase means the sub's policy pays first and does not ask your policy to share the cost.

Does a COI prove I am named as additional insured?

No. The description box may say you are, but only the endorsement (for example a CG 20 10) or the policy itself proves it. Best practice is to collect the endorsement along with the certificate. If the sub cannot produce the endorsement, assume you are not covered until they do.

How do I get added as an additional insured?

Put the requirement in your subcontract, in writing. Then ask the sub to have their agent add your company to the policy by endorsement. Ask the agent to send the certificate together with a copy of that endorsement. Check the name on the endorsement matches your exact legal entity name before work starts.

• Common endorsement forms are CG 20 10, for work in progress, and CG 20 37, for completed work. Completed work matters because defects can surface after the job ends.
• Some policies use a "blanket" endorsement. That covers anyone the sub has a written contract with. Ask for the blanket endorsement page and keep your signed contract.
• Use our COI request email template to ask for all of it in one message.

What is a waiver of subrogation?

An endorsement in which the subcontractor's insurer gives up its right to recover claim payments from the general contractor or owner after paying a loss. GCs commonly require it to stop a sub's insurer from suing them back. Without the waiver, the sub's insurer could pay the claim and then come after your company for the money.

What should I do with this when I track certificates?

Track additional insured and waiver of subrogation as separate yes or no fields for every policy. File the endorsement next to the certificate. When a policy renews, check that the endorsement renewed too. The new certificate alone does not prove it. A tracker with these columns turns a vague worry into a short checklist.

Our free COI tracking spreadsheet has both columns built in. For the basics of the form itself, read what a certificate of insurance is.