Residential or tract-home work — some policies exclude or limit it.
Height limits — work above a set number of stories excluded.
Subcontractor conditions — coverage denied if subs lacked their own insurance.
Action-over / employee injury — claims by injured workers against a GC that come back to you.
Specific operations — roofing, EIFS, hot work, mold, lead, pollution, water damage.
Earth movement and subsidence for foundation, grading and pool work.
Endorsements contracts ask for
Additional insured — extends your policy to the GC or owner, often including completed operations.
Waiver of subrogation — your carrier gives up its right to recover from the GC or owner.
Primary and non-contributory — your policy pays first.
Per-project aggregate — a separate aggregate for each job.
Notice of cancellation to the certificate holder.
How to read your own policy
Exclusions are usually on endorsement forms attached to the policy, not in the base coverage form. Look at the forms schedule on the declarations page: every form listed there changes the policy. Forms titled 'exclusion', 'limitation' or 'designated operations' are the ones to read closely.
Mistakes we see most often
A certificate lists the GC as additional insured, but the policy has no additional insured endorsement
Completed-operations additional insured is missing when the contract requires it
A residential exclusion on a policy for a contractor who mostly does remodels
A subcontractor-warranty condition that voids coverage when one sub's certificate lapsed
Waiver of subrogation added to GL but not to workers' comp
Get it right before you sign
A certificate of insurance only describes the policy; the endorsements themselves have to be on the policy. We request additional insured endorsements for you when a contract calls for them and compare exclusion wording between quotes, not just price.
Asena Capital Insurance Services compares multiple markets for California contractors and requests additional insured endorsements for you when a contract calls for them. Call (858) 925-9555 or request a quote — only your name, phone and email are required. CA License #6008596.
Frequently asked questions
What is an additional insured endorsement?
It adds the GC, owner or another party to your policy for claims arising from your work.
Why does my GC want a waiver of subrogation?
So your insurer can't sue the GC to recover what it paid on a claim.
What is primary and non-contributory?
It means your policy pays before the GC's policy and won't ask the GC's insurer to share the loss.
Can I add an endorsement after the policy starts?
Usually yes — many carriers issue blanket additional insured and waiver endorsements that apply whenever a written contract requires them.