How to track certificates of insurance (COIs)

What does it mean to track a COI?

A certificate of insurance (COI) is a one-page snapshot proving a subcontractor carries specific coverage on a specific date. Tracking COIs means more than filing them: it is the ongoing process of collecting current certificates, verifying they meet your requirements, and watching their expiration dates so coverage never lapses while a sub is working for you. Because a certificate is only accurate the day it is issued, tracking is fundamentally about staying ahead of renewals—not a one-time check.

How to track certificates of insurance: step by step

The system below works whether you manage five subs or fifty. The first two steps happen once per subcontractor; the rest repeat at every policy renewal.

1. Set your insurance requirements. Write the required coverages, minimum limits, and endorsements into your subcontract so every COI is measured against the same standard.
2. Request a certificate from each subcontractor. Ask each sub to have their agent issue an ACORD 25 certificate naming your company as certificate holder.
3. Record the key data. Capture sub name, carrier, policy numbers, coverage types, limits, additional insured and waiver status, and effective and expiration dates.
4. Verify the certificate against your requirements. Confirm each coverage meets your minimum limits and that required endorsements—additional insured, waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory—are present.
5. Set expiration reminders. Flag every policy expiration date and schedule a reminder ahead of it so you can request a renewal certificate before coverage lapses.
6. Chase, re-verify, and keep an audit trail. Follow up on missing or non-compliant certificates, re-verify at each renewal, and keep dated copies of every COI for your records.

What to check on each certificate

Verifying a certificate is where tracking adds value. On every ACORD 25, confirm the items below against your written requirements:

• Required coverages are present—general liability, auto, workers’ compensation, and umbrella where required.
• Limits meet or exceed your minimums on each line.
• Your company is named as additional insured, and a waiver of subrogation is included where your contract requires it.
• Your company is listed as certificate holder, with correct name and address.
• Policy effective and expiration dates cover the sub’s full scope of work.

How often should you re-verify COIs?

Re-verify at every renewal. A certificate is a point-in-time document, so a sub who was compliant in January may have a lapsed or downgraded policy by July. At a minimum, request a fresh certificate before each listed expiration date and any time the subcontractor’s scope expands. The practical failure mode for general contractors is not a bad initial review—it is a policy that quietly expires while work continues, leaving you exposed. That is why expiration monitoring is the part of the system most worth automating. For the underlying coverage standards, see our subcontractor insurance requirements checklist.

Manual tracking vs. COI tracking software

Many general contractors start in a spreadsheet, which works for a handful of subs but breaks down as the list grows—there are no automatic expiration alerts, no one reads the ACORD form for you, and chasing renewals is fully manual. Our guide on the COI tracking spreadsheet template covers the exact columns and where they fall short. Dedicated COI tracking software closes those gaps by reading certificates, grading them, and sending expiration reminders automatically.

Wardlydoes all of this for free: subs upload a certificate from a link with no account, Wardly reads each ACORD 25 and grades it A–F against your requirements, and it monitors every expiration date for you. See how it stacks up on our comparison hub or start from the Wardly homepage.

General information, not legal or insurance advice.