Contractor Compliance Resources
Guides, checklists, and free tools to help GCs, HOAs, and property managers track subcontractor licenses, insurance, and compliance.
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The COI Tracking Guide
Everything a GC or property manager needs to know about certificates of insurance — from what a COI is to how to read, verify, and automate tracking. Follow it in order, or jump to what you need.
- 1 What Is a COI? Certificate of insurance meaning & the ACORD 25 form
- 2 Who Is the Certificate Holder? What the cert holder box means — and doesn't
- 3 Certificate Holder vs. Additional Insured The difference that decides who's actually covered
- 4 CG 2010 vs CG 2037 The two additional insured endorsements GCs must require
- 5 Primary and Noncontributory Whose policy pays first, and whether yours shares
- 6 Subcontractor Insurance Requirements Coverage, minimums and every endorsement, term by term
- 7 COI Audit Checklist How to read a COI — 8 fields to check before approving
- 8 COI in Construction Why construction COI requirements are different
- 9 COI for Subcontractors What coverage a sub must actually provide
- 10 What Is COI Tracking? Building a repeatable collection & monitoring process
- 11 Free COI Tracking Spreadsheet Download the Excel template to start tracking today
- 12 COI Tracking Software ★ Automate collection, AI parsing & expiration alerts
W-9s & 1099s
7Collecting a sub's W-9 and getting the 1099 right, one question at a time.
- Subcontractor W-9 Tracking Collect W-9s through one secure link at onboarding, read for you, with the 1099 list ready in January.
- How to Request a W-9 From a Sub or Vendor When to ask, what a complete W-9 looks like, an email template you can send, and what to do when a sub won't send one.
- Backup Withholding: When You Must Withhold 24% When a missing or wrong TIN means withholding from a sub, the CP2100 and B notice deadlines, and how a W-9 at onboarding avoids it.
- 1099 Threshold for 2026: $2,000 The 1099-NEC threshold rose from $600 to $2,000 for 2026 payments. Which subs still get a 1099, and the January 31 deadline.
- IRS TIN Matching Check a sub's name and TIN against IRS records before you file: who can use it, how to sign up, and what causes a mismatch.
- W-9 vs 1099: What Each Form Does Who fills in which form, when each is due, how they connect over a year, and where the W-2 fits.
- W-9 for an LLC How each kind of LLC fills in the W-9, the mistakes that get it sent back, and which LLC subs get a 1099.
Guides
24Foundational knowledge on certificates of insurance, endorsements, risk and license status.
Certificates of insurance
- What Is a COI? Certificate of Insurance Meaning & ACORD Form Explained COI stands for certificate of insurance. Learn COI meaning, every field on the ACORD 25 form, what a certificate proves, and how GCs collect and track certificates of insurance.
- What Is COI Tracking? Managing Certificates of Insurance What COI tracking involves, why managing certificates of insurance matters, and how to build a repeatable collection and monitoring process — with or without software.
- Who Is the Certificate Holder on a Certificate of Insurance? The certificate holder is listed in the bottom-left box of the ACORD 25 — but being listed gives you the document, not coverage. What it means and what it doesn't.
- Certificate Holder vs. Additional Insured — Key Differences A certificate holder gets a copy of the COI. An additional insured is actually covered by the policy. They are not the same — and confusing them leaves GCs exposed.
- How to Spot a Fake Certificate of Insurance Altered, borrowed, forged or out of date: ten red flags on the ACORD 25, how to verify a certificate with the agent, and what to do when one is fake.
- Notice of Cancellation on a COI The certificate promises no notice, and CG 02 24 only gives the sub more days. The endorsement that names you, and what notice never catches.
- ACORD 28: Evidence of Commercial Property Insurance The form a tenant's or franchisee's agent sends to prove property cover. Each field, how it differs from the ACORD 25 and 27, and what it doesn't prove.
- How to Check If a Contractor Has Insurance There's no public database for general liability. Five ways to check anyway, the state workers' comp lookups that exist, and what each check leaves out.
- How to Make Sure a Sub Is Insured Before You Pay Them For owners and AP: the pay-run check, the contract term that lets you hold a payment, and what an uninsured sub costs at audit.
- What If a Subcontractor Doesn't Have Insurance? Where the cost lands on you (a claim, your GL audit, workers' comp for their crew), why a signed waiver doesn't fix it, and your options before work starts.
Endorsements & coverage
- What Is an Insurance Endorsement? What an endorsement does, why the certificate can't prove one, how to read a form number like CG 20 10 04 13, and the standard forms subs are asked for.
- CG 2010 vs CG 2037: Additional Insured Endorsements Explained CG 2010 covers you while a sub is on site. CG 2037 covers you after the work is done — when most claims actually arise. Most GC subcontracts require both.
- CG 20 26: The Designated Person or Organization Endorsement The additional insured form property managers, landlords and cities ask for: what it covers, what it leaves out, and how it differs from CG 20 10 and CG 20 37.
- Blanket Additional Insured: CG 20 33 vs CG 20 38 A blanket endorsement covers whoever the sub's contract requires, with no name on the form. Why CG 20 33 can leave the owner out, and why the certificate alone isn't proof.
- Primary and Noncontributory: What It Means on a Sub's COI Why the sub's policy should pay first and never share the loss with yours, where it appears on the certificate and the policy, and the CG 20 01 that provides it.
- Waiver of Subrogation: What It Means on a Sub's COI Why a sub's insurer shouldn't be able to pay a claim and then sue you for it, the three forms that stop it on GL, auto and workers' comp, and blanket vs scheduled waivers.
- Umbrella vs Excess Liability Both add limits above a sub's policies; only an umbrella can broaden coverage. How the limits stack, what the certificate can't show, and what to require.
- Workers' Comp vs Employer's Liability Workers' comp pays the injured worker; employer's liability answers the lawsuit that can reach you. The three limits on the certificate, and the stop-gap states.
Risk, contracts & licenses
- Construction & Vendor Risk Management: A Guide for GCs and Property Managers The four controls for the risk your subs and vendors bring — verify, transfer by contract, monitor, document — with a risk register and the contract clauses that carry the risk.
- Subcontractor Risk Management: How GCs Control the Risk Subs Bring The risks subs bring onto a job, a six-item prequalification checklist, flow-down requirements, monitoring mid-project, and what to do when a sub lapses on site.
- Vendor Risk Management for Property Managers Tier vendors by risk, meet owner and lender requirements, spot red flags before you hire, and monitor every vendor across your portfolio.
- Hold Harmless Agreement: Types, Examples and When to Require One Broad, intermediate and limited form, where state law draws the line, when GCs, property managers and schools should require one — and the insurance that pays for the promise.
- Subcontractor Compliance Without a Risk Manager COIs, licenses, and W-9s — a practical system for lean GC and PM teams who don't have a dedicated compliance hire.
- Active vs. Expired vs. Suspended: What Contractor License Statuses Actually Mean A plain-language breakdown of every license status you'll encounter — what each one signals, what your liability exposure is, and what to do next.
How-To
7Step-by-step process guides for building repeatable compliance workflows.
- COI Audit Checklist: 8 Things to Check Before Approving Any Certificate The eight fields GCs and property managers most often miss when reviewing a certificate of insurance — named insured, additional insured, limits, occurrence vs. claims-made, and more.
- How to Get a Certificate of Insurance How to request, obtain, and review a certificate of insurance (COI) — what to give your agent, how long it takes, what it costs, and how to track the COIs you collect.
- How to Verify a Contractor License Step-by-step guide to checking contractor license status in Texas, Florida, California, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Colorado, Arizona, Connecticut, Arkansas, Virginia, and Ohio.
- The 5-Minute Contractor Verification Checklist Verify any contractor before they start work — license status, COI, W-9, and red flags — in five minutes or less.
- How to Build a Contractor Compliance Scorecard What to score, how to weight license, COI, and W-9, and a spreadsheet method you can copy today — plus the step that breaks every manual scorecard.
- General Liability Premium Audits and Subcontractors What the auditor asks for about your subs, how an uninsured sub ends up on your premium, and how to prepare.
- Workers' Comp Premium Audits and Subcontractors How an uninsured sub's payroll lands on your workers' comp policy, which exemptions hold up, and how to prepare for the audit.
Onboarding & Prequalification
5What to collect from a new sub before work starts, and how to read their safety record.
- Subcontractor Onboarding Checklist All 10 documents a GC needs from a new sub before work starts — COI, W-9, a state license verified live, signed agreement, lien waiver, and more.
- Subcontractor Prequalification Form Template Free Free subcontractor prequalification form — every field GCs need: license, insurance endorsements, EMR, W-9, and signed certification.
- How to Get Subcontractors to Send COIs Without Chasing Why requests stall, a request a sub can forward to their agent unchanged, a follow-up schedule that doesn't nag, and what to do when the wrong certificate arrives.
- What Is an EMR Rating? The Experience Mod, Explained What a sub's experience modification rate means, how it's calculated from three years of claims, who issues it, and what to check on the letter.
- TRIR Calculator: TRIR and DART From the OSHA 300A Free Work out a sub's TRIR and DART rate from the hours and case totals on its OSHA 300A, and compare it with the BLS average for its trade.
Free Tools & Templates
4Downloads and lookups you can use today, no account needed. State-by-state lookups are under By State.
- Contractor License Lookup Free Look up contractor license status directly from the official state databases — free, no account needed.
- COI Tracking Spreadsheet Free Free downloadable spreadsheet template for tracking certificates of insurance across your vendor roster.
- Compliance Checklist Free Downloadable PDF checklist covering insurance, licenses, tax documents, and more — for vetting any new contractor.
- Compliance Assessment Free Answer a few questions about your current compliance process and get a personalized report with gaps and recommendations.
Compliance Software
5What TrackMyVendor does, by the job you need done.
- COI Tracking Software Collect certificates of insurance via secure link, parse them with AI, and get 90/60/30/7-day expiration alerts — free for your first 25 subs.
- Subcontractor Credential Tracking Software The full platform GCs and property managers use to track every credential a sub owes you — license, COI, and W-9 — and stay audit-ready in one place.
- License Verification Software Automated contractor license monitoring — add your subs once, get status re-checked whenever the state publishes and expiration alerts without manual re-verification.
- Vendor Compliance Tracking for Property Managers & HOAs Vendor insurance compliance tracking, the HOA vendor checklist, and the best vendor management approach for property managers and associations.
- Why Small GCs Don't Need Enterprise Compliance Software Enterprise tools are built for large operations. Here's what actually works for small GCs — and when to make the switch from a spreadsheet.
Comparisons
8How COI tracking tools compare on features and published pricing.
- Free COI Tracking Software — What's Actually Free Free plans compared by what they include, where the hidden costs are (minimums, setup fees, quote-only pricing), and how each COI tracking tool prices.
- COI Tracking Software vs. Spreadsheet: When the Free Option Stops Being Free When manual COI tracking breaks down, what it actually costs you in time and risk, and the tipping point for switching to software.
- myCOI Alternatives — Honest Comparison 2026 If myCOI's pricing or complexity doesn't fit your operation, here are the alternatives — with real pricing and no sales call required.
- Billy Alternatives — COI Tracking Without the $600/Month Price Tag Billy is built for 100+ sub Procore shops. If that's not you, here's what fits — including a free option with contractor license verification.
- TrustLayer Alternatives 2026 — COI Tracking Without the 90-Day Implementation TrustLayer's Pulse engine and API are impressive — and enterprise-priced. If you need COI tracking without a software engineering project, here are your options.
- Jones Alternatives 2026 — COI Tracking Without an Annual Contract Jones is priced per record, per year, and never checks whether a sub is still licensed. Five alternatives compared, with published pricing.
- HoundDog Alternatives 2026 — What COI Tracking Actually Costs HoundDog quotes by vendor count and won't show a price without a call. Five alternatives compared, including a free tier with license verification.
- CertFocus Alternatives 2026 — What the Annual Minimum Really Costs CertFocus publishes its rates: $6–$8 per vendor, against a $7,500 annual minimum plus setup. Five alternatives compared, including a free tier with license verification.
Automation & Integrations
7Send compliance events to the tools your team already uses.
- Contractor Compliance Automation Hub How modern GCs automate COI parsing, daily license verification, W-9 collection, and expiration alerts — replacing the manual email-and-spreadsheet workflow.
- QuickBooks COI Tracking Connect QuickBooks Online and each matched sub's vendor record carries a PDF of their compliance status — expired COIs, lapsing licenses, coverage shortfalls — updated when anything changes.
- Subscribe Compliance Deadlines to Your Calendar Push every COI, license and W-9 expiration into Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar as a live feed — it re-fetches on its own, so renewals stay current without anyone exporting a thing.
- Connect TrackMyVendor to Zapier Receive real-time contractor compliance events in Zapier and trigger actions in 6,000+ apps — Slack alerts, Google Sheets logging, Gmail notifications, and more.
- Connect TrackMyVendor to Make Use Make's visual builder to route contractor.coi_expiring, contractor.w9_missing, and other events to Slack, Airtable, Gmail, and 1,500+ other apps.
- Post Compliance Alerts to Slack Route contractor COI expiration alerts, license monitoring events, and W-9 missing notifications to Slack channels via Zapier or Make. Setup takes about 10 minutes.
- Post Compliance Alerts to Microsoft Teams Use Power Automate (included with Microsoft 365) to receive TrackMyVendor webhooks and post compliance alerts to Teams channels. No third-party subscription needed.
By Audience
12Guides written for general contractors, property managers, HOAs and other teams that hire out work.
General contractors
- General Contractor Insurance Requirements Coverage minimums, policy types, and how requirements vary by project size and contract type.
- Small GC Compliance Guide What small GCs actually need to track — without a dedicated compliance team. Practical, not theoretical.
- How to Track Subcontractor Insurance A practical guide for GCs and property managers on collecting, storing, and monitoring subcontractor COIs.
- COI in Construction: A GC's Guide How certificates of insurance work on construction projects — what GCs require from subs, how to read policy limits, and what to do when a COI doesn't meet contract requirements.
- COI for Subcontractors: What GCs Actually Need What coverage a sub must provide, why a standard certificate isn't enough, and what additional insured endorsements actually require — includes a ready-to-use COI request letter.
Property managers & HOAs
- Vendor Insurance Compliance for Property Managers How property managers track vendor insurance requirements across their entire property portfolio.
- Texas Vendor Compliance for Property Managers TDLR license verification and COI tracking for Texas property managers — requirements, process, and automation.
- HOA Vendor Compliance Checklist Seven documents to collect from every vendor before they set foot on HOA property — COIs, licenses, W-9s, and more.
- HOA Contractor License & Insurance Requirements State license and insurance requirements for contractors working on HOA-managed properties.
Other industries
- Staffing Agency Compliance COI and W-9 tracking across a 1099 workforce — what to collect at placement, how to survive a client audit, and how to keep expirations current through constant turnover.
- Transportation & Logistics Compliance Auto liability, cargo, and W-9 requirements for owner-operators and 1099 drivers — plus how to know a vendor is clear to dispatch before the load goes out.
- Private School & Facility Compliance What to collect from campus vendors and from the groups renting your gym or field — certificates naming the school, hold harmless agreements, W-9s and 501(c)(3) letters.
By State
12License lookups and license and insurance requirements, state by state. A Live lookup searches the state's own license database.
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AZ
Arizona
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CA
California
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CO
Colorado
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FL
Florida
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IL
Illinois
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OR
Oregon
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TX
Texas
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WA
Washington
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GA
Georgia
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NY
New York
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NC
North Carolina
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SC
South Carolina
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