What is a Vendor Certificate of Insurance (COI)?
A vendor Certificate of Insurance (COI) is a document that shows a vendor working on your property has active insurance coverage. It’s your assurance that if that vendor accidentally damages property, injures someone, or faces a claim, their insurance carrier — not your company — is responsible for covering the costs.
For example, if a landscaping company accidentally damages a building’s sprinkler system while working on the grounds, a valid COI with the appropriate liability coverage shows their insurance covers the repairs, not your budget.*
This is especially important for:
- Property managers onboarding new service providers
- Asset managers ensuring building-wide compliance
- General contractors coordinating multiple subcontractors
- Facilities managers working with maintenance vendors
- PMs managing compliance region- or company-wide
Every vendor represents potential risk — and COIs are the first line of defense.
*COIs don’t include endorsements, or policy exclusions—the things that actually determine if coverage applies when something goes wrong. For more information on COIs vs. full policy review, read the post below.
Related: COI vs. Insurance Policy: FAQs for Risk & Compliance in Real Estate and Construction
Why Do Property Managers Need Vendor COIs?
Vendor COIs are about more than just paperwork — they are a crucial risk management tool that safeguards your organization in various scenarios.
Consider a property management team onboarding a new janitorial vendor for a Class A office building.
Similarly, a general contractor working on a new mixed-use development might hire subcontractors for electrical, plumbing, or roofing work. Each subcontractor should provide a COI proving their own liability and workers’ compensation coverage, protecting the GC from absorbing claims related to those subs’ activities.
For owners and asset managers, COIs provide critical documentation proving compliance with lease agreements, lender requirements, and investor expectations (although we must point out that even a COI is not a legally binding document.)
What Insurance Should a Vendor COI Include?
The required insurance on a vendor COI depends on the vendor’s role and the risks they bring. Typically, property managers will look for several types of coverage:
- General Liability: Protects against claims of bodily injury or property damage caused by the vendor. This is foundational coverage for nearly all vendors.
- Workers’ Compensation: Covers injuries sustained by their workers on the job. Especially critical in construction or maintenance work.
- Commercial Auto Insurance: Necessary if the vendor uses vehicles for their operations on your property — such as a contractor hauling equipment or a pest control company using service vans. Also makes up for shortfalls in GL coverage.
- Umbrella or Excess Liability: Provides additional coverage beyond standard policy limits, ideal for higher-risk vendors like roofing companies or structural contractors.
- Additional Insured Endorsements: Adds your company as an insured party on the vendor’s policy, giving you extra protection in claims situations. Additional Insured Endorsement is not always required; sometimes, it’s enough to mention it in the DOO on a COI.
For example, a property manager at a luxury apartment complex might require general liability and workers’ comp from their pool maintenance vendor, while a facilities manager at a corporate campus might also require commercial auto insurance from delivery or security providers.
When Should Property Managers Request a Vendor COI?
The simple rule is: request a COI any time a vendor is performing work that could expose your property or people to risk.
This includes:
- Routine service providers like HVAC, janitorial, and landscaping vendors
- Specialty contractors like elevator repair companies or waterproofing experts
- Construction subcontractors working under a GC
- Tenant vendors accessing common areas in a multi-tenant building
- Event vendors setting up temporary installations or equipment
For example, an asset manager overseeing a retail shopping center would request COIs from both seasonal snow removal vendors and short-term holiday pop-up shops operating within the property.
This ensures continuous protection across diverse vendor types and activities.
How to Request and Review a Vendor COI
Successfully managing vendor COIs begins with setting clear expectations and following a consistent process. Every interaction with a vendor regarding insurance should be structured and transparent to avoid confusion and delays.
Clearly Communicate Insurance Requirements
Start by informing your vendor of exactly what insurance they need to carry before beginning work. Provide them with a document or checklist outlining:
- The types of coverage required (e.g., General Liability, Workers’ Comp, Commercial Auto)
- The minimum coverage limits (often specified in lease agreements or company policies)
- Whether your company (or the owner) must be listed as an Additional Insured
- The Certificate Holder information, which should include your company’s legal name and mailing address
For instance, a property manager onboarding a new pest control vendor might require $1 million in General Liability coverage, Workers’ Comp coverage for all employees, and Additional Insured status for the management company.
Receive the COI Directly from the Vendor’s Insurance Provider
Encourage vendors to have their insurance agent send the COI directly to you. This ensures the document hasn’t been altered or edited by the vendor themselves.
Review the COI Carefully
Once you receive the COI, take the time to verify it thoroughly:
- Are the types of coverage listed correct for the work being performed? A landscaping vendor should have General Liability and Workers’ Comp, while a moving company might also need Commercial Auto.
- Are the coverage limits sufficient according to your building or ownership requirements?
- Are the effective dates valid — meaning the coverage is currently active and won’t expire during the term of their work?
- Is your company listed as the Certificate Holder in the correct format?
- Does the COI explicitly state Additional Insured status if required?
Example Use Case
Consider a facilities manager onboarding a window cleaning vendor for a high-rise building. Beyond confirming the vendor has General Liability coverage, the manager should look for Workers’ Comp (given the physical nature of the job), Commercial Auto if vehicles will be used, and verify that the company is listed as Additional Insured. This level of detail ensures the building is protected from claims if a vendor employee is injured on-site or damages property during their work.
How Jones Simplifies This Entire Process
Managing this process manually — for every vendor, across every property — quickly becomes unsustainable. That’s why many property managers and asset owners turn to Jones for COI management.
Jones automates the COI request process, ensuring vendors receive clear instructions and insurance requirements upfront. Once vendors upload their COIs through a no-login portal, Jones automatically reviews the documents for accuracy, verifies that all requirements are met (including Additional Insured language), and tracks policy expiration dates.
Instead of chasing down documents and manually reviewing each COI, property managers can rely on Jones’ real-time dashboards to know exactly which vendors are compliant, which are missing documents, and which policies are expiring soon — saving time, reducing risk, and ensuring full visibility across their entire portfolio.
Common Mistakes Property Managers Make with Vendor COIs
Even experienced property managers can fall into common traps when handling vendor Certificates of Insurance. Let’s explore these mistakes in detail and why they matter.
Accepting Expired COIs or Failing to Track Renewals
One of the most frequent mistakes is accepting a COI at the start of a vendor relationship but never checking its expiration date. Over time, policies lapse, vendors forget to renew, and suddenly a claim occurs when the vendor’s insurance is no longer valid.
For example, a facilities manager at a corporate office building may have onboarded an HVAC vendor years ago. If the vendor’s COI expired six months prior and a leak from their equipment causes significant damage, the property owner could be stuck with the repair bill and and possible claims from tenants or other impacted/flooded entities.
Not Requiring Additional Insured Status When Necessary
Being listed as a Certificate Holder confirms you received the COI — but it doesn’t mean you’re protected under the policy. Property managers often overlook requiring Additional Insured status, which extends coverage to their business in certain claims.
Consider a general contractor managing a retail build-out project. If a subcontractor accidentally injures a pedestrian, the GC could face legal action. Without being listed as Additional Insured, the subcontractor’s insurance might not cover the GC’s legal fees.
Using One-Size-Fits-All Insurance Requirements
Different vendors present different risks. Requiring the same insurance limits from a large roofing contractor and a small cleaning service doesn’t make sense — and could slow down onboarding or strain vendor relationships.
An asset manager working with seasonal snow removal crews might prioritize general liability coverage and commercial auto insurance, while a tenant-facing art installer might require lower limits but still need proof of workers’ compensation.
Storing COIs in Siloed Email Threads with No System for Retrieval
Managing COIs through scattered email chains is not only inefficient — it’s risky. When audits, claims, or lender reviews happen, locating the right document quickly becomes a fire drill.
Imagine a property manager responsible for a portfolio of 20 commercial properties being asked to provide COIs for all vendors within 48 hours. If COIs are buried in inboxes or on individual desktops, meeting that deadline could be impossible — increasing compliance risk and damaging stakeholder trust. Avoiding these mistakes starts with a proactive approach to COI management — and the right tools to support your process.
This is exactly where vendor COI tracking software like Jones can make all the difference. Instead of relying on emails or spreadsheets, Jones provides a centralized, searchable repository for every COI document across your entire vendor network. Property managers can instantly filter COIs by vendor, property, expiration date, or compliance status — eliminating the need to dig through old email threads.
Plus, with Jones’ automated renewal reminders and real-time dashboards, teams can proactively stay ahead of expirations and vendor compliance issues. And in the case of audits or claims, Jones allows teams to export all relevant COIs in seconds, providing a professional, organized response that builds trust with lenders, owners, and auditors — and dramatically reduces stress for internal teams.
Why Jones is the Smartest Way to Manage Vendor COIs
Jones helps property teams take control of vendor COI management by addressing the most common pains property managers face — and delivering gains that drive operational efficiency and peace of mind:
User Pains Jones Solves
- Vendors ignoring COI requests or sending incomplete documents
- Hours wasted chasing vendors for renewals
- Risk of uninsured vendors working on-site
- Confusing, inconsistent insurance requirements across properties
- Siloed COI storage leading to panic during audits
- Stress of manually reviewing complicated insurance documents
Gains Property Managers Get with Jones
- Automated outreach ensures vendors submit accurate COIs on time
- No more manual follow-ups or last-minute scrambles
- Clear compliance dashboards that show exactly who is approved
- Custom insurance requirements by vendor type eliminate confusion
- Centralized, searchable COI repository makes audits stress-free
- Expert COI review offloads complexity from internal teams
Jones helps property teams take control of vendor COI management by:
- Saving countless hours on manual document collection and follow-up
- Reducing compliance risk across all vendors and properties
- Improving vendor onboarding speed and communication
- Providing total visibility with real-time compliance dashboards
- Ensuring accuracy with outsourced COI review by insurance experts
- Integrating seamlessly with existing property management and construction platforms
Manual COI management often leads to errors, delays, and liability risk. It’s time-consuming, inconsistent, and difficult to scale — especially for teams managing a large portfolio of vendors across multiple properties. That’s where Jones stands out as the leading solution for property managers, asset owners, and general contractors.
Jones provides a centralized, automated platform that simplifies the entire COI lifecycle — from initial collection to ongoing tracking and renewal management — saving teams countless hours and reducing exposure to risk.
Automated COI Collection and Renewal Tracking
Jones eliminates the need for manual email follow-ups by requesting COIs from vendors, providing them with clear insurance requirements, and sending automated reminders when expiration dates approach. This ensures you stay ahead of compliance gaps without lifting a finger.
Customized Insurance Requirements per Vendor Type
Different vendors bring different levels of risk. Jones allows property managers to enforce tailored insurance requirements based on vendor category, project type, or location — whether it’s a snow removal company, a janitorial service, or a construction subcontractor.
Real-Time Compliance Dashboards
Jones provides live dashboards that give property teams total visibility into vendor compliance across all properties. Managers can quickly see which vendors are approved, which are non-compliant, and what actions need to be taken to resolve issues.
COI Review by Insurance Professionals
Instead of relying on busy property teams to interpret complex insurance documents, Jones offers COI review by insurance experts. This ensures that every document meets your exact requirements, from Additional Insured status to specific coverage limits.
Seamless Integrations with Industry Tools
Jones integrates directly with platforms like MRI, Yardi, Procore, and CMiC, so COI compliance is connected to the systems you already use for vendor management and project oversight. No need for double data entry or disconnected systems.
Vendor-Friendly Upload Portal
Vendors receive a guided, no-login-needed experience that makes it easy to upload COIs and understand compliance requirements — improving vendor relationships while reducing back-and-forth communication.
Real-World Impact
A senior asset manager at a commercial real estate firm using Jones was able to eliminate 90% of manual COI tracking efforts across dozens of properties. Instead of managing spreadsheets or chasing emails, their team now operates from a single source of truth, enabling faster vendor onboarding, easier audits, and greater confidence in compliance.
Jones doesn’t just make COI management easier — it transforms it into a scalable, proactive risk management process that grows with your business.
A senior asset manager at a commercial real estate firm using Jones can instantly view COI compliance across dozens of properties — reducing admin workload and increasing confidence in their risk management program.
Final Thoughts
Managing vendor Certificates of Insurance isn’t just about collecting paperwork — it’s about protecting your business, meeting legal obligations, and reducing operational risk.
Whether you’re a property manager, facilities leader, asset owner, or general contractor, proactive COI management ensures your vendors are carrying their fair share of liability — not passing that risk onto you.
With the right approach (and the right tools, like Jones), managing vendor COIs can go from a constant headache to a streamlined, automated process that keeps your properties protected and your operations running smoothly.
Tired of Reviewing COIs and Endorsements Manually?
Jones automates the collection and review of COIs for property management companies, owner-operators, and general contractors across the US. Reach out to us via the form below to find out more about how Jones can help your organization manage your insurance documents.
