How to Read a Certificate of Insurance (ACORD 25)

To read an ACORD 25 certificate of insurance, confirm the named insured matches your subcontract, check that liability and workers' comp limits meet your requirements, verify the expiration dates are still in the future, and treat additional insured checkboxes as claims — not proof — until you have the endorsements.

The ACORD 25 is the form most U.S. subcontractors hand you when you ask for a "COI." It is a summary, not the policy. Reading it well is how you catch problems before a crew mobilizes.

Start with identity, not limits

Before you look at dollar amounts:

1. Named insured — Must match the legal entity on your subcontract. "Smith Electric LLC" and "Smith Electrical Services Inc" are different companies.
2. Producer / broker — A real agency you can call. Certificates that only list the sub as the source deserve a closer look.
3. Certificate holder — Usually you (the GC). Being the holder does not make you an additional insured.

If the named insured is wrong, stop. The rest of the form is describing someone else's coverage.

Coverage blocks that matter on a jobsite

On a typical commercial or residential build, scan these sections:

Block	What you're checking
Commercial general liability	Occurrence vs claims-made, each-occurrence and aggregate limits vs your subcontract
Automobile liability	Required if they drive to site (almost always)
Workers' compensation	Statutory limits; employer liability where required
Umbrella / excess	Only if your contract demands limits above primary
Description of operations	Job name / project reference when required by the owner

Limits that are "close enough" are not enough. If the subcontract says $2M and the certificate shows $1M, you do not have what you contracted for.

Dates: the field that goes stale

Every policy lists effective and expiration dates. A certificate issued in January can still show a policy that lapsed in March if nobody sent an update. Always ask: is this expiration still in the future today?

Set your own reminder 30 days before that date — not on the date. See COI expiration tracking methods.

Additional insured and other special wording

The ACORD 25 often has checkboxes or wording for:

• Additional insured
• Waiver of subrogation
• Primary and non-contributory

Those marks are representations about the policy, not substitutes for the endorsement pages. If your subcontract requires additional insured status for ongoing and completed operations, collect the endorsement forms (commonly CG 20 10 / CG 20 37 or equivalents) and read what they actually grant. More detail: what is an additional insured endorsement.

Red flags worth a phone call

• PDF looks edited, blurry, or inconsistent fonts
• Producer phone/email doesn't resolve to a real agency
• Named insured doesn't match the sub's W-9 or contract entity
• Expiration already passed, or renews in under two weeks with no renewal COI attached
• "Additional insured" checked with no endorsements attached

When in doubt, call the producer listed on the form and verify the policy number is active. That five-minute call prevents expensive surprises.

Turn reading into a system

Reading one certificate carefully is a skill. Reading fifty without a miss is a system:

1. Collect the COI and required endorsements before mobilization.
2. Log expiration dates where the whole team can see them.
3. Alert 30+ days before renewal.
4. Re-verify when the sub renews — don't assume the new PDF matches last year's terms.

TradeGuard stores each certificate against the sub, warns before expiry, and lets subs upload renewals so you're not the only person reading PDFs. Start a free trial if you want that workflow on your roster.

FAQ

What is an ACORD 25?

It is the standard certificate of liability insurance form used in the U.S. to summarize a contractor's coverage for a certificate holder.

Does being listed as certificate holder mean I'm additional insured?

No. Certificate holder status means you received a copy of the summary. Additional insured status requires the correct endorsement on the policy.

What should I verify first on a sub's COI?

Confirm the named insured matches the subcontract entity, then check limits, expiration dates, and required endorsements.

Can I rely on the PDF alone?

The PDF is a starting point. For additional insured, waiver of subrogation, and similar requirements, collect and file the endorsements that back up the certificate wording.