Before a landscaper, plumber, or roofing crew steps on your property, you need proof they carry adequate insurance. A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is that proof — but a COI on file is not the same as a compliant vendor. This checklist helps property managers, HOA managers, and small commercial landlords audit vendor insurance without missing the details that create liability exposure.
Use this list quarterly, at annual board reviews, and whenever a new vendor is onboarded. For a printable version, see our free COI checklist page.
Before you start: gather your requirements
Write down your minimum standards before reviewing certificates. Most property management firms require at least $1M per occurrence general liability, workers compensation for any vendor with employees, and your property or association named as additional insured on the general liability policy. Your requirements may vary by vendor type — roofers and elevator contractors often need higher limits.
Vendor COI audit checklist
1. Certificate holder & dates
- COI is dated within the last 30 days (ACORD forms show the issue date)
- Policy effective dates cover the full contract period — not just today
- Expiration dates are tracked with reminders at least 30, 15, and 7 days out
- Named insured matches the legal entity performing work (watch for DBA names)
2. General liability
- Each occurrence limit meets your minimum (commonly $1M; some HOAs require $2M)
- General aggregate limit is sufficient for multi-visit vendors
- Products/completed operations coverage is included for construction trades
- Your organization is listed as certificate holder
- Additional insured endorsement is present when required (see our additional insured guide)
3. Workers compensation
- Workers comp is listed if the vendor has employees (required in most states)
- If exempt, a valid waiver or state exemption document is on file — not just a blank COI field
- Limits meet statutory requirements for your state or province
4. Auto liability (when applicable)
- Commercial auto liability listed for vendors who drive to your sites
- Hired/non-owned auto coverage if subcontractors use personal vehicles
5. Umbrella / excess (optional but recommended)
- Umbrella policy listed for high-risk trades (roofing, structural, pool)
- Umbrella follows form over underlying GL and auto limits
6. Endorsements & gaps
- Certificate is not marked “claims made” without retroactive date verification
- No problematic exclusions noted (e.g., height limitations for roofers)
- Subcontractors used by your vendor are required to carry their own COI
- W-9 and business license on file where your process requires them
Red flags that mean “do not allow on site”
- Expired policy or COI issued after expiration
- GL limits below your minimum — a valid cert can still be non-compliant
- Missing workers comp for a vendor with a crew
- Named insured does not match the company on your contract
- Additional insured required but not evidenced on the COI
How often to re-audit
- At vendor onboarding — before first day on site
- 30 days before each policy expiration
- Annually during your vendor compliance review
- After any claim, contract change, or vendor ownership change
From checklist to automation
Spreadsheets work until you manage more than a handful of vendors. CertGuard reads COI PDFs automatically, applies your compliance rules (minimum GL, workers comp, additional insured), sends vendor reminders, and flags under-insured vendors on your dashboard — so you spend minutes on audits, not hours chasing email attachments.