What a certificate of insurance covers, and why building managers ask for one

Every commercial building asks a cleanout vendor for a certificate of insurance before the crew enters, and every property owner should. The certificate is a one-page summary of the vendor's policies, and five lines on it matter.

General liability

Covers damage the crew does to the building and injuries to people who are not employees. Commercial buildings typically require $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. A vendor without it is uninsured for the dented elevator door.

Workers' compensation

Covers the crew's own injuries. Without it, an injured worker can claim against the property owner. Some states let sole proprietors opt out; a certificate that shows "excluded" for the owner is normal, one that shows no workers' compensation at all is not.

Commercial auto

Covers the truck. Hauling companies run heavy trucks in tight loading docks, and personal auto policies exclude commercial use.

Additional insured

Building managers ask to be named as an additional insured on the general liability policy, which lets them claim directly against the vendor's insurer. It is standard, free for the vendor to add, and a vendor who refuses is a vendor whose policy may not be what the certificate says.

Dates and the issuer

Check that the policy periods cover the job date and that the certificate was issued by the insurance agent, not typed by the vendor. Certificates can be verified with a call to the agent whose name is on the form.

For smaller jobs

A residential cleanout does not need a certificate, but it is reasonable to ask the vendor to name their insurer. The honest answer takes five seconds.