Before any contractor starts work, agree on the insurance requirements in writing. Here is the checklist we recommend — and the one we encode in COIFort requirement templates.
1. General liability: $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate is the market standard. Raise it for high-risk scopes like roofing or excavation.
2. Auto liability: $1M combined single limit when the contractor drives on your site.
3. Workers compensation: required by state law in nearly every state; verify the certificate or a valid exemption.
4. Umbrella: $1M+ when the project value justifies it. Umbrella extends underlying limits — always check it on the certificate.
5. Additional insured: the clause that actually protects you. Without it, their policy pays them, not you.
Then the operational part: verify every certificate against this checklist, track expiration dates, and renew before lapse. That is exactly the loop COIFort automates.