The ACORD 25 — officially the "Certificate of Liability Insurance" — is the one-page form you receive as proof that a vendor or subcontractor carries insurance. It's everywhere in construction, property management, and events. Here's how to read it section by section, and what actually matters when you're deciding whether to let someone on the job.
1. Producer
Top-left. This is the insurance agency or broker that issued the certificate, with their contact info. You'll use it if you need to request a correction or the actual endorsement forms.
2. Insured
The policyholder — i.e., the vendor or subcontractor. Confirm this exactly matches the legal entity you contracted with. A certificate for "Bob's Electric LLC" doesn't cover "Bob Smith" the sole proprietor.
3. Insurer(s) A–F
The actual insurance carriers providing each policy, each with a NAIC number. Multiple carriers are normal (e.g., one for liability, one for workers' comp). The letters (A, B, C…) map to the coverage rows below.
4. Coverages — the heart of the form
A grid of the policies: General Liability, Automobile, Umbrella/Excess, and Workers' Compensation. For each, check:
- Policy number and effective / expiration dates — make sure coverage is active through your project's end date, not expiring mid-job.
- Limits — e.g., GL "Each Occurrence" and "General Aggregate," auto "Combined Single Limit," WC "E.L. Each Accident." Compare them to what your contract requires.
- The two small columns: ADDL INSD (additional insured) and SUBR WVD (waiver of subrogation). A check here is a claim that the policy includes those — see the warning below.
5. Description of Operations
A free-text box near the bottom. Agents use it to note the project, additional-insured language, primary & non-contributory, and waiver of subrogation wording. Useful context — but, again, it's text typed by an agent, not the policy itself.
6. Certificate Holder
The party the certificate is issued to — this should be your correct legal entity and address. If it shows another company, you may be looking at a recycled certificate.
7. Cancellation
States how many days' notice you'll get if the policy is cancelled — commonly 30 days (10 for non-payment).
8. Authorized Representative
The signature, bottom-right. An unsigned ACORD 25 is not a valid certificate.
The single most important thing to understand: the ACORD 25 is a summary, not the policy. The ADDL INSD / SUBR WVD checkboxes and the Description of Operations text are claims, not proof. To truly confirm additional-insured status, request the actual endorsement forms (for construction, CG 20 10 and CG 20 37) — the certificate alone won't tell you they exist.
What to verify, in order
- The Insured is the exact entity you hired.
- Each required coverage's limits meet your contract.
- Policies are active through your project's end date.
- Required endorsements (additional insured, primary & non-contributory, waiver of subrogation) are evidenced by the actual forms, not just checked boxes.
- The certificate holder is your entity, and the certificate is signed.
Want this as a printable list? Grab the free Subcontractor COI Verification Checklist — or paste your numbers into the free COI Checker and see the gaps instantly.
Let software read it for you
CoverProof reads each ACORD 25, checks every coverage, limit, date, and endorsement against your requirements, flags the gaps, and chases renewals automatically.
or try the free COI Checker →This article is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Requirements vary by contract and jurisdiction; confirm specifics with your broker or counsel.