Why a certificate of insurance matters before work starts
A certificate of insurance, usually called a COI, is a document issued by an insurance broker confirming that a contractor carried active coverage on the date it was written. Ask for one before anyone climbs onto your roof.
The reason is uncomfortable but simple. If a roofer falls on your property and the company has no workers’ compensation coverage, the injured worker’s route to medical bills and lost wages can run through you and your homeowners policy. A contractor saying they are insured carries no weight. The certificate, verified, is what stands between you and that exposure.
The two coverages that matter
General liability covers your property. If a crew drops a bundle of shingles through your skylight, starts a fire, or lets water into the house during a tear-off, this is the policy that pays to repair your home.
Workers’ compensation covers people. If a worker is injured on your property, this pays their medical costs and wage replacement. Without it, your homeowners insurance becomes the target, and a claim of that size can affect your premium or your ability to keep the policy.
You want both. A contractor who carries one and not the other has left a gap that lands on you.
How to read the form
Most certificates use the ACORD format. It looks dense, but you need four things from it.
- Producer (Block 2). The broker or agency that issued the certificate, with a phone number. You will use this.
- Insured (Block 3). The contractor’s legal business name. It has to match the name on your contract and the name on your check. A mismatch is a red flag.
- Coverages (Block 5). General liability, typically the top line, and workers’ compensation, usually near the bottom. Check the policy effective and expiration dates, and check the limits against the size of your project.
- Description of Operations. The box at the bottom. Confirm it describes roofing. Some contractors carry cheaper general handyman policies that exclude work at height, which means the certificate is real and the coverage still does not apply to your job.
Verify it, do not just file it
Certificates get reused after policies lapse, and forged ones circulate in home improvement. Three steps close that gap.
- Call the producer. Use the number in Block 2 and ask whether that policy number is currently active and in good standing for that named insured.
- Ask to be named as an additional insured. On a full replacement or any large project, have the contractor’s agent add your name and property address to the certificate. If the policy is cancelled mid-project, the carrier is then obligated to notify you.
- Read the exclusions. Look for anything that would void coverage for your specific work, such as an exclusion for residential roofing on a roofer’s policy.
Ghost policies
Watch for a workers’ compensation policy that covers the business owner and excludes everyone else. These are legal, cheap, and useless to you. A three-person crew shows up, the certificate shows workers’ compensation, and none of the people actually on your roof are covered.
Check that the coverage applies to all employees or is written to statutory limits. If the form says the owner is excluded and no employees are scheduled, ask directly who on the crew is covered, and get the answer from the broker rather than the contractor.
Red flags worth walking away from
- Expired dates, or a certificate dated more than a year ago
- No workers’ compensation line at all
- A business name that does not match your contract or your invoice
- Hesitation, delay or excuses when you ask for the certificate
- A refusal to let you call the broker
None of these prove misconduct. Every one of them is a reason to get another quote.
Where NRCIA fits
NRCIA sets the standard for roof inspection and certification and accredits the members who apply it. Insurance and professional accountability requirements are part of what members maintain, so the directory gives you a starting point that has already been screened. Members perform the five-zone LeakFREE® Check and issue the report; the association does not inspect roofs.
Verify the certificate anyway. Any professional worth hiring expects the question and answers it in a day.
Check the coverage before work begins
Search the NRCIA member directory and request the certificate of insurance before you sign.
LeakFREE®, Forensic ROOF®, Mr. RoofCheck®, InspectionPLUS®, Today’s Inspection… Tomorrow’s Protection®, and Got Leaks?® are registered trademarks of Field Gate FLP, used by permission. RoofGUARD™, ForensicGUARD™, DisasterGUARD™, E3GUARD™, and Think Like a Raindrop™ are trademarks of Field Gate FLP.
