Certificate Holder vs. Additional Insured

Two different things on a Certificate of Insurance — only one of them gives you actual coverage.

Certificate Holder = 'we sent them a copy.' If the policy lapses, the certificate holder gets a notice. That's the only protection.

Additional Insured = 'we added them to our policy.' If the named insured causes a claim, the AI's defense and any payout come from the named insured's policy first.

Smart GCs require BOTH on every sub COI — and verify the endorsement is actually attached to the policy, not just claimed on the certificate.

Related

• Certificate of Insurance (COI) — A one-page summary from an insurance carrier showing what coverage a contractor has — used to prove insurance before a job starts.
• Additional Insured — A person or company added by endorsement to another party's insurance policy, so that policy now covers them too for claims arising from the named insured's work.
• Compare contractor CRMs — FieldKrew against Jobber, Housecall Pro and ServiceTitan
• General Liability (GL) Insurance — Insurance that covers a contractor for bodily injury and property damage caused to third parties — required by most clients before work starts.
• Workers' Compensation — State-mandated insurance that pays medical bills and lost wages when an employee is hurt on the job.