If you work as a sub-contractor, you may hear a general contractor or client ask to be added as an "additional insured" on your General Liability policy. Here's what that means and why it comes up so often in the trades.
What is an Additional Insured?
An additional insured is a person or business — other than the policyholder — added to your GL policy so they receive some of the same liability protection for claims arising from your work.
In practice, this means that if a claim is made connecting your work to damage or injury on a project, the additional insured party may also be protected under your policy, in addition to their own coverage.
Common parties requesting this status include:
General contractors (GCs)
Property owners or property managers
Developers
Municipalities (for certain public projects)
Why Do Clients or GCs Request This?
Contractual requirement — Many construction contracts require sub-contractors to name the hiring party as an additional insured before work can begin.
Extra layer of protection — If a claim arises from your work, the additional insured party wants to be covered under your policy as well as their own, reducing their own liability exposure.
Risk management standard practice — On larger projects, it's common industry practice for every sub-contractor's policy to name the GC or owner as additional insured.
How It's Typically Requested
A client or GC will usually specify this requirement in:
A signed contract or subcontract agreement
A pre-qualification or vendor onboarding form
An email or written request before work begins
They may also specify particular wording (e.g., "additional insured with respect to ongoing and completed operations"), so it's worth reading the request carefully or asking them to confirm the exact language needed.
How to Add an Additional Insured to Your Policy
This is typically done through an endorsement added to your existing policy. Once added, an updated Certificate of Insurance (COI) reflecting the additional insured can usually be issued to share with your client or GC.
See our article on [How to Add an Additional Insured] for the step-by-step process.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
Being named as an additional insured does not replace the other party's own insurance — it supplements it.
Some contracts request additional insured status for "ongoing operations" only, others for "completed operations" too — these are different in scope, so it's worth confirming exactly what's required.
If you're unsure what a specific request means or whether your policy can accommodate it, our licensed brokers can help clarify.