Additional Insured — Owners, Lessees Or Contractors — Automatic Status When Required In Construction Agreement With You
Automatic AI status when the subcontract requires it — no schedule needed, but limited to ongoing operations.
What it actually does
CG 20 33 grants automatic additional-insured status to any party with whom the named insured has signed a written construction agreement requiring such status. The "automatic" language means there's no need to list each AI on a separate schedule — the contract itself becomes the trigger.
Like CG 20 10, the coverage applies only to liability arising out of the named insured's ongoing operations performed for the additional insured. Completed operations are excluded — for that, pair with CG 20 38 (which is the automatic-status equivalent that includes completed ops).
The "lower of" clause is important: AI coverage is limited to the lesser of the limits required by the contract or the limits of the policy. Many contracts and brokers don't realize this caps the AI's protection.
Verification checklist
- 01Verify a fully executed written subcontract exists and specifies AI status — without a contract, automatic status doesn't trigger.
- 02Confirm completed-operations coverage is provided via CG 20 38 or another endorsement if required.
- 03Check the 'lower of' limit caps against your subcontract's required AI limits.
- 04Make sure the subcontract is signed BEFORE any loss occurs — automatic status only applies prospectively.
Common mistakes
- ·Assuming AI status is conferred without a signed contract — verbal or unsigned agreements don't trigger automatic forms.
- ·Accepting CG 20 33 when completed operations are required — pair with CG 20 38 or use CG 20 10 + CG 20 37.
- ·Missing the limits cap from the 'lower of' language.
Verify CG 20 33 on every sub's COI automatically
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