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Additional Insured Endorsements for Contractors
Every general contractor wants to be named additional insured on your GL. Here’s what that actually means, the difference between blanket and scheduled endorsements, the CG 20 10 vs. CG 20 37 forms, and how to add a GC without breaking your policy.
- ✓What “additional insured” really gives the GC (and what it doesn’t)
- ✓CG 20 10 (ongoing operations) vs. CG 20 37 (completed operations) — you usually need both
- ✓Blanket additional insured vs. scheduled — when each makes sense
- ✓Primary, non-contributory language and waiver of subrogation
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What “Additional Insured” Actually Means
When a general contractor or property owner asks to be “added as additional insured” on your general liability policy, they are asking for something specific and contractually valuable. They’re asking your carrier to extend the protection of YOUR policy to THEM — for claims arising out of your work. If a client sues both you and the GC over a slip-and-fall on your jobsite, the GC can tender that lawsuit to your carrier. Your carrier defends them, pays settlements within your limits, and the GC’s own GL policy stays untouched. Learn more about general liability insurance for contractors or scroll down for the details on this question.
From the GC’s perspective, additional insured status is the cheapest, fastest risk transfer they have. Instead of buying their own policy for every project, they push the cost down to the trade contractors actually doing the work. From your perspective, it’s the price of admission to the commercial construction market. Try to negotiate it away and the GC will pick a competing contractor who simply agrees.
Important nuance: additional insured status only covers liability arising out of YOUR work. It does not give the GC carte blanche to use your policy for their own negligence. If a GC employee leaves a tool on a stairway and someone trips, that’s a GC negligence claim — your policy doesn’t respond. The protection is scoped to acts and omissions that are tied to the work you were hired to perform.
There are also limits. Adding an additional insured doesn’t change your policy limits — the GC shares the same $1M/$2M pool you have. If your policy is exhausted by your own claims, the AI has nothing to access. This is why many sophisticated GCs require both AI status AND minimum limit floors AND umbrella coverage as a stack.
Bottom line: Additional insured is a risk-transfer tool. It extends your policy to a third party for claims tied to your work. It’s the standard, and resisting it costs you contracts.
The Forms — CG 20 10, CG 20 37, and Why You Need Both
CG 20 10 — Ongoing Operations
The standard ISO endorsement that grants additional insured status for claims arising during ongoing work. While you’re actively on the jobsite installing the deck, framing the wall, running the wire — CG 20 10 is the form that responds. The current edition (CG 20 10 04 13) is the form most large GCs require by name in their master contracts.
CG 20 37 — Completed Operations
The companion endorsement that extends additional insured status to claims surfacing after the work is complete. If the deck you built two years ago fails today, CG 20 37 is what brings the GC under your policy for that completed-operations claim. CG 20 10 ALONE does NOT cover completed operations. You need both forms — and savvy contracts now explicitly require both.
Older Editions Matter
There are older editions of CG 20 10 (1985, 1993, 2001, 2004, 2013 — the year is part of the form name) that grant DIFFERENT scopes of coverage. Older editions are broader; newer editions narrow the protection to liability “caused, in whole or in part, by your acts or omissions.” Some GCs specifically demand the older 1985 edition because of the broader language. Carriers will rarely write the old form anymore. Your agent needs to read the contract carefully and propose acceptable substitutes.
Blanket Additional Insured
A “blanket” endorsement grants AI status to any entity that you’ve signed a written contract requiring AI status — without needing to name them individually. The advantage: speed. You don’t have to call your agent for every new project. The disadvantage: the carrier prices the broader exposure into your premium, and the language is sometimes narrower than what a sophisticated GC will accept. Most contractors with regular commercial work carry a blanket AI endorsement.
Scheduled Additional Insured
A “scheduled” endorsement names specific parties on a schedule attached to your policy. More cumbersome but sometimes required when a GC’s master contract demands very specific language that a blanket can’t deliver. Often used for major institutional clients (hospitals, universities, municipalities).
Endorsement Comparison — Which You Need by Customer Type
| Customer Type | Forms Typically Required | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Residential homeowner | Rare — sometimes none | Not usually requested |
| Residential GC | CG 20 10 + CG 20 37 | Blanket or scheduled |
| Commercial GC | CG 20 10 + CG 20 37 + primary/NC + waiver | Blanket preferred |
| Property manager / REIT | CG 20 10 + CG 20 37 + primary/NC + waiver + 30-day cancellation notice | Scheduled often required |
| Municipal / public | CG 20 10 + CG 20 37 + primary/NC + waiver + per project | Scheduled (per project) |
| Hospital / institutional | All above + specific edition dates | Scheduled, manuscripted |
| Big-box retail | All above + indemnification matching | Scheduled per their template |
Primary, Non-Contributory and Waiver of Subrogation
Primary and Non-Contributory
Without this language, your AI coverage might “share” a claim proportionally with the GC’s own GL policy. The “primary” piece tells the carriers your policy pays first — before the GC’s policy is touched. The “non-contributory” piece tells the carriers your policy can’t demand the GC’s policy contribute to the loss. Together they fully push the loss onto your carrier. ISO form CG 20 01 04 13 (Primary and Noncontributory — Other Insurance Condition) is the standard endorsement. Most contracts now require it by name.
Waiver of Subrogation
Subrogation is the carrier’s right to pursue a third party for reimbursement after paying a claim. If your carrier pays $200,000 on a slip-and-fall and decides the GC’s site safety was actually the root cause, the carrier might sue the GC’s carrier for some or all of that $200,000. A waiver of subrogation endorsement (typically CG 24 04 05 09) prevents this. The GC pushes the risk to you AND forecloses your carrier’s ability to chase them back. Standard requirement on most commercial contracts.
The Stack — How It Reads on Your COI
A complete commercial COI Description of Operations line usually reads: “[GC Name] is named as additional insured per CG 20 10 04 13 and CG 20 37 04 13 with primary, non-contributory coverage per CG 20 01 04 13. Waiver of subrogation applies per CG 24 04 05 09.” Hand that to a GC and you’ve satisfied 95% of standard master-contract requirements.
Why Contractors Trust Trade Safe
20+ Years
We’ve read every flavor of master contract — including the weird ones. We know what’s enforceable.
Independent Agency
Multiple carriers means we can place AI endorsements with the right markets — even older edition forms.
Fast COI Turnaround
Same-day endorsement and certificate with all the required language baked in.
Hard-to-Place Risks
Specialty endorsement forms and high-limit programs for roofing, demo, and difficult trades.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does adding an AI cost extra?
With a blanket additional insured endorsement, no per-request charge — the blanket itself is priced into the base premium (usually 5–15% loading). Scheduled AI endorsements may have a small per-add fee of $0–$50.
Can I add an AI for free?
If you carry a blanket AI endorsement, effectively yes — Trade Safe issues the COI at no charge and the AI is already covered. Scheduled adds vary by carrier.
What’s the difference between AI and certificate holder?
Certificate holder is just a delivery address — the party who receives the certificate. AI is an actual coverage status under your policy. You can be a certificate holder without being an AI. Most GCs need both.
Does AI status share my policy limits?
Yes — there’s only one pool of limits and AIs draw from it. If multiple AIs share a single claim, the policy responds up to its occurrence limit and stops. This is why most contracts ALSO require minimum limits and umbrella coverage.
What is the CG 20 33 form?
A blanket additional insured form that automatically adds parties named in your written contracts — limited to ongoing operations. CG 20 33 is the blanket cousin of CG 20 10. Useful but doesn’t cover completed operations on its own.
Can a GC require AI for THEIR negligence?
Many states (Ohio included) have anti-indemnity statutes that limit how broadly a GC can transfer their own sole negligence to a sub. The standard ISO AI forms are written to comply — they only cover claims arising out of YOUR work. Older forms (1985 edition) were broader and are now often statutorily limited.
How long does AI status last?
Ongoing operations: while you’re working the project. Completed operations (CG 20 37): for claims arising from the completed work, as long as your policy stays in force and the policy’s products-completed operations coverage responds. Dropping coverage strips AI protection retroactively.
Can I push back on AI requirements?
Rarely successfully on the AI itself — it’s table stakes. But you CAN push back on overly broad indemnification language, on older form-edition requirements, and on excessive limit requirements. Trade Safe helps draft those negotiations.
Add a GC the Right Way — Same Day
Trade Safe places blanket AI endorsements as standard on every contractor policy. New GC tomorrow? Send us the contract — COI and AI delivered before close of business.