Business insurance • Contracts and certificates
Additional Insured: What It Means, Which Endorsement You Need, and How to Add One
An additional insured is a person or company, usually a client, general contractor, landlord, or property owner, that is added to your liability policy so your coverage protects them for claims arising from your work. Additional insured status comes from an endorsement on the policy. A certificate of insurance alone “confers no rights upon the certificate holder.”
This guide explains who asks to be an additional insured, the common ISO endorsements, the limits built into them, and how to add one correctly. Blake Insurance Group is an independent agency, not a law firm; have an attorney review contract language.
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What an additional insured is
Your general liability policy protects you, the named insured. Adding someone as an additional insured extends that protection to them for claims tied to your work, so if a customer is hurt on a job and sues both you and the general contractor, your policy can defend the contractor too.
Common requesters include general contractors and project owners, commercial landlords, event venues, cities and counties issuing permits, and large clients that hire vendors.
Common additional insured endorsements
| Form | Who it covers | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| CG 20 10 | Owners, lessees, or contractors, for your ongoing operations | Construction work while it is in progress |
| CG 20 37 | Owners, lessees, or contractors, for your completed operations | Claims after the job is finished |
| CG 20 26 | A designated person or organization | Clients and others named in the endorsement |
| CG 20 11 | Managers or lessors of premises | Landlords of space you rent |
Scheduled vs. blanket. A scheduled endorsement names each additional insured. A blanket endorsement automatically includes anyone you agree in a written contract to add, which saves time if you sign many contracts.
Limits on additional insured coverage
The 2013 ISO endorsements narrowed additional insured coverage in ways that matter in contracts (IRMI: 2013 ISO additional insured endorsements):
- Only as permitted by law. Several states, including New Mexico and Texas, limit additional insured coverage to what an indemnity agreement could lawfully provide.
- No broader than the contract. Coverage won’t exceed what your contract requires you to provide.
- Limits capped at the contract amount. If the contract requires $1 million and you carry $2 million, the additional insured gets $1 million.
- Your fault, at least in part. Coverage applies to injury or damage “caused, in whole or in part,” by you or those working for you, not to the additional insured’s sole negligence.
Certificate of insurance vs. endorsement
A certificate of insurance only summarizes your coverage. The standard ACORD 25 form says it “is issued as a matter of information only and confers no rights upon the certificate holder,” and the only way to add an additional insured is by endorsement (Miller Nash: why you need more than a certificate). Clients increasingly ask for a copy of the endorsement along with the certificate.
Contracts often also require coverage to be primary and noncontributory, meaning your policy pays first and won’t seek contribution from the additional insured’s own insurance. That usually needs its own endorsement or wording.
How to add an additional insured
- Read the contract’s insurance section for the names, forms (ongoing and completed operations), limits, and primary and noncontributory or waiver wording required.
- Send it to your agent before you sign, so any gap can be fixed or negotiated.
- Add a scheduled or blanket endorsement. Some insurers charge a small fee per name; blanket endorsements are often included in contractor packages.
- Request a certificate and a copy of the endorsement for the client.
- Keep coverage in force through the contract and any completed-operations period the contract requires.
Additional insured FAQs
What does it mean to be an additional insured?
It means you are covered under someone else’s liability policy, usually for claims arising from that business’s work for you, through an endorsement on their policy.
Does a certificate of insurance make me an additional insured?
No. A certificate is information only. Additional insured status requires an endorsement on the policy.
What is the difference between CG 20 10 and CG 20 37?
CG 20 10 covers the additional insured for your ongoing operations; CG 20 37 covers them for your completed operations after the job is done.
What is a blanket additional insured endorsement?
An endorsement that automatically adds anyone you are required to add by a written contract, so you don’t have to name each one.
Does adding an additional insured cost extra?
Sometimes. Some insurers charge a small fee per scheduled name, and others include blanket additional insured coverage in contractor policies.
Related guides
Important information
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Cost figures. Published averages and ranges are cited from the sources named, as of the dates shown. They are not quotes and may not reflect your price, which depends on the insurer, your state, your business, your payroll and revenue, your limits, and your claims history.
Not legal advice. Contract, classification, and workers’ compensation rules summarized here are general information as of November 2026 and vary by state. Have an attorney review contracts and status questions.
Availability. Coverage, prices, discounts, and eligibility vary by insurer, state, and applicant, and are subject to underwriting. The issued policy controls.
Your next step
Send us your contract’s insurance requirements, and a licensed agent will help you get the right additional insured endorsements in place.
