Subcontractor Insurance Requirements Generator
Build the insurance requirements for your subcontract — sensible limits plus the right endorsements — and get paste-able clause language and a PDF exhibit. Free, no signup.
Project type
State (optional)
Contract value
Risk level
Endorsements to require
Insurance Requirements
Commercial General Liability
The Subcontractor shall maintain Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance written on an occurrence form with limits of not less than $1,000,000 each occurrence, $2,000,000 general aggregate, and $2,000,000 products/completed-operations aggregate. Coverage shall be maintained for at least three (3) years following completion of the Work.
$1,000,000/$2,000,000 is the standard baseline for commercial construction subcontractors.
Automobile Liability
The Subcontractor shall maintain Business Automobile Liability insurance covering owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles with a combined single limit of not less than $1,000,000 per accident.
Workers' Compensation and Employers' Liability
The Subcontractor shall maintain Workers' Compensation insurance as required by statute, and Employers' Liability insurance with limits of not less than $1,000,000 each accident, $1,000,000 disease – each employee, and $1,000,000 disease – policy limit.
Umbrella / Excess Liability
The Subcontractor shall maintain Umbrella or Excess Liability insurance with limits of not less than $2,000,000 each occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, in excess of the General Liability, Automobile Liability, and Employers' Liability coverages required above.
Umbrella scaled to the project's contract value.
Additional Insured
The Contractor and the Owner, and their officers, directors, and employees, shall be named as additional insureds on the Subcontractor's General Liability policy for both ongoing operations (ISO form CG 20 10 or equivalent) and completed operations (ISO form CG 20 37 or equivalent).
CG 20 10 covers ongoing operations only; CG 20 37 extends additional-insured status to completed operations. Requiring both closes the gap after the Subcontractor finishes its work.
Waiver of Subrogation
The Subcontractor shall waive all rights of subrogation against the Contractor and the Owner under its General Liability, Automobile Liability, and Workers' Compensation policies, and shall cause such policies to be endorsed accordingly.
Primary and Non-Contributory
All liability coverage required of the Subcontractor shall be primary and non-contributory with respect to any insurance or self-insurance maintained by the Contractor or the Owner.
Industry-standard language — have your attorney or insurance agent review before use. Not legal advice.
How to write subcontractor insurance requirements
When you hire a subcontractor, your subcontract should spell out the insurance they must carry and the endorsements they must provide — otherwise a claim arising from their work can land on your policy. A complete set of subcontractor insurance requirements covers four things: the coverage lines (general liability, automobile, workers' compensation and employers' liability, and usually umbrella/excess), the minimum limits for each, the endorsements (additional insured, waiver of subrogation, primary & non-contributory), and how long the coverage must be maintained.
This generator turns those decisions into ready-to-paste contract language. Pick the project type and contract value and it sets standard limits — $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate general liability is the common baseline for commercial subcontractors, scaling up with an umbrella on larger jobs. Toggle the endorsements you need and it writes the matching clauses, including naming both CG 20 10 (ongoing operations) and CG 20 37 (completed operations) for additional-insured status so there's no gap after the subcontractor finishes.
From requirements to verification
Requirements only protect you if every subcontractor actually meets them. Once you've generated your requirements, you can check each sub's certificate of insurance against exactly these rules, and monitor every COI's expiration so coverage never lapses mid-project.
Related free tools
- Free COI audit — check a sub's certificate against these requirements.
- COI tracker — monitor every subcontractor's COI expiry with live status.
- Endorsement decoder — what CG 20 10, CG 20 37, and other endorsement codes mean.
FAQ
What insurance should I require from subcontractors?
At minimum: Commercial General Liability (commonly $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate), Business Automobile Liability ($1M combined single limit), and statutory Workers' Compensation with Employers' Liability ($1M). On larger projects, add Umbrella/Excess coverage. Most general contractors also require the subcontractor to name them as an additional insured and to provide waiver of subrogation and primary & non-contributory endorsements.
What is additional insured vs. waiver of subrogation?
Additional insured status extends the subcontractor's liability coverage to protect you for claims arising from their work. Waiver of subrogation prevents the subcontractor's insurer from later trying to recover its payout from you. They solve different problems, so contracts typically require both.
Do I need both CG 20 10 and CG 20 37?
Usually yes. CG 20 10 grants additional-insured status for the subcontractor's ongoing operations; CG 20 37 extends it to completed operations (after the work is finished). Requiring CG 20 10 alone leaves a gap once the subcontractor wraps up, so most GCs require both.
What liability limits are standard for subcontractors?
$1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate general liability is the common baseline for commercial subcontractors. Higher-value or higher-risk projects scale the aggregate and add a $2M–$10M umbrella. This generator sets sensible limits based on your contract value and risk level.
Is this legal advice?
No. This tool produces industry-standard sample language to help you draft an insurance requirements exhibit. Have your attorney or insurance agent review the requirements before you put them in a subcontract.