Free Certificate of Insurance (COI) Tracking Spreadsheet
A ready-to-use .xlsx for tracking every sub's insurance, license and W-9 — with expiry dates that color themselves as deadlines get close.
- ✓ 17 columns: license, GL, workers' comp, auto, umbrella, additional insured, W-9
- ✓ Expiry dates turn amber 30 days out and red once they pass
- ✓ 5 sample rows and an Instructions tab
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Rather not maintain a spreadsheet? Track up to 25 subs free.
What Every COI Tracking Spreadsheet Must Include
A COI tracking spreadsheet is a manual tool for recording subcontractor insurance policy details — carrier, coverage types, policy numbers, and expiration dates — in a structured format that can be sorted and reviewed. The template is pre-formatted for general contractors with all 17 columns below.
Sub and license
- Subcontractor name
- Trade / license type
- License number
- License state
- License expiry
- License status
Insurance
- COI carrier
- GL policy number
- GL expiry
- WC policy number
- WC expiry
- Auto liability expiry
- Umbrella expiry
- Additional insured (Y/N)
W-9 and notes
- W-9 on file (Y/N)
- W-9 date
- Notes
Every expiry column is formatted to turn amber within 30 days of the date and red once it passes. The colors recalculate against today's date each time the file is opened.
Managing a job site from your phone? Skip the Excel file — TrackMyVendor's mobile-friendly dashboard lets you check compliance anywhere, without squinting at spreadsheet columns on a 6-inch screen. Start free.
Where spreadsheets break down
The template is a good starting point. But if you're managing more than a handful of subs, you'll hit these walls fast.
The spreadsheet only knows what someone typed in
Every date comes from someone reading a PDF and typing it in. A typo, a renewal that never got entered, or a certificate for the wrong entity all look the same as a good row — the colors can only judge the date in the cell. You find out at audit time, or after an incident.
No connection to state license databases — a suspended license looks fine
You can record a license number in a spreadsheet, but you can't check whether it's actually active today. A contractor's license can be suspended mid-project and your spreadsheet will never know. State databases don't email you when something changes.
No alerts — you find out at renewal, not 90 days before
The colors only show up when someone opens the file. Nothing emails you 90 days before a date turns red, so you're always reacting, not managing. The sub doesn't get an alert either — so chasing the renewal still falls on you. See how Automated Alerts work.
Version control issues when shared with your team
Who has the latest version? Did someone update the GL date or just move it by accident? Shared spreadsheets drift. Two people editing simultaneously creates conflicts. There's no audit trail showing who changed what or when.
No sub-facing upload — you still chase PDFs over email
The spreadsheet has no way to request a document. Every renewal means another email thread, another PDF saved to your desktop with a confusing filename, and another round of manual data entry before the expiration date is updated. Explore AI COI Parsing.
What TrackMyVendor checks on every certificate
A spreadsheet stores the dates you type. TrackMyVendor reads the certificate itself, then grades it against the insurance you actually require.
Reads every coverage line off the COI
Carrier, policy number, effective and expiration dates, and limits for general liability, auto, workers' comp and umbrella — down to the sub-limits: general aggregate, products-completed operations, split auto limits and workers' comp per statute. Nobody retypes a PDF. How AI COI parsing works.
Compares each limit to your minimums
Set the coverage your company requires once — each occurrence, aggregate, auto, umbrella. Every certificate is graded line by line, and a shortfall is named in plain words: "Auto property damage (per accident) is $50,000, below your $100,000 minimum." The sub turns Non-Compliant until a certificate that meets it arrives.
Holds each job to its own requirements
A hospital job may need higher limits than a house remodel. Group subs by project or job site and give each its own coverage minimums — a sub can be compliant on one job and short on another, and you see which. Projects and job sites.
Reads the endorsements, not just the checkboxes
A ticked ADDL INSD or SUBR WVD box on the ACORD 25 is a claim, not cover. TrackMyVendor reads the endorsement forms themselves — Additional Insured, Waiver of Subrogation, Primary & Non-Contributory and Notice of Cancellation — whether they arrive behind the certificate or on their own. Endorsement verification.
Spreadsheet vs. TrackMyVendor
| Spreadsheet | TrackMyVendor | |
|---|---|---|
| Expiration alerts | Cell colors when the file is opened — no emails | Weekly summary email on every plan; alerts at 90 / 60 / 30 / 7 days to you and the sub on paid plans |
| COI data entry | Manual — you read the PDF and type dates | AI reads dates, limits and sub-limits from the uploaded PDF |
| Coverage minimums | You compare each limit by eye | Graded line by line against your company's minimums, and each project's own |
| Endorsements | A Y/N column you trust the checkbox for | Additional insured, waiver of subrogation and primary & non-contributory forms read |
| Sub document collection | Email chains, attachments, manual saving | Secure link — sub uploads directly, no account |
| License status | Static record — never auto-updated | Re-checked against the state board in the states that publish their lists; a suspended license turns the sub Non-Compliant |
| Team collaboration | Version conflicts, no audit trail | One shared record per sub, with an audit trail |
| Cost | Free — but requires constant manual work | Free for up to 25 subs — see plans for more |
Frequently asked questions
Where can I download a free COI tracking spreadsheet template?
Is the COI tracking spreadsheet really free?
What's the difference between a spreadsheet and COI tracking software?
How do I track COI expiration dates automatically?
The spreadsheet colors an expiry date amber 30 days out and red once it passes, but only when someone opens the file, and it can't email anyone.
TrackMyVendor reads the expiration dates off each COI PDF and watches every policy. Every plan, including Free, sends a weekly compliance summary email. Paid plans add alerts at 90, 60, 30 and 7 days before each expiration, sent to your team and to the sub, whose copy carries a link to upload the renewal directly.Ready to Move Beyond Manual Data Entry?
Track up to 25 subs free — upload your COIs and let TrackMyVendor read the dates for you. No credit card.
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