What a Certificate of Insurance Has to Show for a Carpenter

What the Certificate Shows for Your Job

When you get a certificate of insurance (COI), it is a piece of paper that proves your business has coverage. For a carpenter, the COI shows a few main things that someone else might ask to see. Here is what to expect on the page.

Named Insured

The COI shows the named insured. That is the name of your business. If you are the carpenter and run the business yourself, that name should be on the page. This shows who the insurance is for.

Insurance Company

Next to the name of your business, you will see the insurance company that sold the policy. This is the company that agrees to cover your business if something happens. The name of the carrier is important to the person asking for the COI.

Policy Number

Each insurance policy has a unique number. This is the policy number. It is like a tag for your coverage. If someone needs to check the details of your policy, they use this number to find it.

Coverage Dates

The COI tells you when the coverage starts and ends. These are the dates on the certificate. The person asking for the COI will look here to make sure the coverage is active. If the dates are not correct, the certificate might not work for them.

Types of Coverage

The certificate lists the types of coverage your business has. For a carpenter, the main coverage is workers' compensation. This is for work-related injuries. The COI will say workers' comp is active. A ghost policy does not cover you, the owner. You reject coverage for yourself when you buy it, so the policy pays no medical bills or lost wages to you. It exists to show proof of coverage to the client, contractor or landlord who asks for it.

Coverage Limits

Each type of coverage has a limit. For workers' comp, the certificate shows that benefits follow your state's law ("per statute"), and it lists the employers' liability limits in numbers. The person asking for the COI checks these to make sure the coverage is enough for their needs. If the limits are too low, they might ask for more coverage before letting you work for them.

Who the Certificate Is For

The COI also shows the certificate holder. This is the person or company the certificate is made for. It could be your client, a building owner, or a job site manager. This part tells them you have insurance for the work you are doing for them.

What the Certificate Does Not Show

The certificate is not the whole insurance policy. It does not show the full policy terms, exclusions, or conditions. These are the details that say what is and is not covered. The person who needs the COI usually does not need those full details. They just want to know your business has coverage. But if they ever have a question, they might ask to see more of the policy.

Getting Your Certificate

You get the certificate after Cimarron issues your policy, within 24 business hours of your payment and signed documents. You can find it with your policy documents. If you need a new one, you can download it again from your account. The certificate is important if someone asks for proof of coverage. It is a simple way to show your business has workers' comp.

What You Need to Know as a Carpenter

As a carpenter, you might need to show the COI to your clients, job site managers, or building owners. They want to know your business has insurance. The certificate shows that. But a ghost policy does not cover you, the owner. If you want a policy that pays you when you get hurt, you need regular workers' comp, not a ghost policy. Work above 15 feet can't be covered by this program, so if any of your carpentry goes that high, you need regular workers' comp instead. If your work stays below that, start your quote.