CG 2010 vs CG 2037: Additional Insured Endorsements Explained for General Contractors
CG 2010 covers you while the sub is on site. CG 2037 covers you after the work is done — when most injury and property damage claims actually show up. If you only require one, you're half-protected. These two ISO forms are the standard additional insured endorsements in commercial construction; this guide explains what each one does, why most GC subcontracts require both, and exactly what to look for when reviewing a sub's COI.
The most common mistake GCs make: accepting any reference to "additional insured" and assuming it covers the whole project. When a completed-operations claim arrives a year later, the certificate turns out to have referenced CG 20 10 only — and the GC's additional insured status ended the day the sub left the site.
Quick answer
CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 are the two ISO additional insured endorsements GCs require on a subcontractor's general liability policy. CG 20 10 covers the GC for claims arising while the sub's work is ongoing; CG 20 37 covers claims arising after the work is completed — water intrusion, defects and injuries that surface months later. They are complements, not alternatives: a contract requiring "20/37" means both, and a certificate should name both form numbers.
Protects the GC as an additional insured while the subcontractor is actively performing work on the project. Coverage ends when the sub's work is complete. Also called the "ongoing ops" endorsement.
CG 2037 (CG 20 37)
Completed operations coverage
Protects the GC as an additional insured for liability arising after the sub's work is finished — water intrusion discovered months later, structural defects, post-completion injuries. Also called the "comp ops" endorsement.
When a contract says "require 20/37" it means both forms, together. That's the standard.
What is CG 2010?
CG 2010 is the ISO form number for Additional Insured — Owners, Lessees or Contractors — Scheduled Person or Organization (Ongoing Operations). It's a standard endorsement added to a subcontractor's commercial general liability (CGL) policy that extends additional insured status to the GC — and often the project owner — for claims arising from the sub's work while that work is in progress.
The current standard edition is CG 20 10 04 13 (ISO 2013). The 1985 edition, CG 20 10 11 85, covered liability arising out of the sub's "your work" — which reached both ongoing and completed operations in one form. The 10 93 edition narrowed that to "your ongoing operations", and ISO introduced CG 20 37 in its 10 01 edition to give completed operations back as a separate endorsement, which is why both are now required. If a sub's policy carries the 11 85 edition of CG 2010, it may reach completed operations as well — but verify that with the sub's broker rather than assume it.
Covers: Bodily injury and property damage claims that arise out of the sub's work while that work is ongoing on your project
Does not cover: Claims that arise after the sub's work is complete — that's CG 2037's job
On the COI: Description of Operations should reference "CG 20 10" or "ongoing operations" additional insured language
What is CG 2037?
CG 2037 is the ISO form number for Additional Insured — Owners, Lessees or Contractors — Completed Operations. It extends additional insured status to the GC for claims arising from the sub's work after that work has been completed and accepted — which is the phase when the majority of construction liability claims actually arise.
The current edition is CG 20 37 04 13. How long the protection lasts depends on the sub keeping the endorsement on each renewed policy, and on the products-completed operations limits available — contracts commonly require it for one to three years after completion, and some, particularly public projects, for up to ten.
Covers: Claims arising from the sub's completed work — faulty installation discovered at inspection, water intrusion months after roofing work, injuries from a completed structure
Does not cover: Claims that arise while the sub is still actively performing work — that requires CG 2010
On the COI: Description of Operations should reference "CG 20 37" or "completed operations" additional insured language — separately from CG 2010
Side-by-side comparison
CG 2010
CG 2037
Also called
Ongoing operations endorsement, "ongoing ops"
Completed operations endorsement, "comp ops"
ISO form number
CG 20 10 04 13 (current edition)
CG 20 37 04 13 (current edition)
When coverage applies
While sub is actively performing work on the project
After sub's work is complete and accepted
Coverage ends when
Sub's work on that project is complete
The endorsement comes off a renewed policy, or the completed operations period in the contract ends
Typical claim examples
Worker injury on active job site, damage caused during work
Water intrusion after roofing, structural defect found at inspection, post-completion injury
Required in standard GC subcontracts?
Yes
Yes
Where to verify on COI
Description of Operations (Box 17)
Description of Operations (Box 17) — as a separate reference from CG 2010
Why most GC subcontracts require both
CG 2010 and CG 2037 were designed to cover the full life of a subcontract — not just one phase. Requiring only CG 2010 means your additional insured protection disappears the moment the sub completes their scope. Here's why each phase needs its own endorsement:
During work: CG 2010 applies
A sub's worker falls from scaffolding and is injured. The injured worker's attorneys name the GC in the lawsuit — which is standard practice in construction litigation. CG 2010 means the sub's GL insurer defends the GC and covers any judgment, instead of the claim running through the GC's own policy.
After work is done: CG 2037 applies
A roofing sub completes their scope, passes inspection, and leaves the job site. Fourteen months later, the owner discovers water intrusion in three units — traced to a flashing defect in the sub's work. The GC is named in the owner's suit. If CG 2037 wasn't required, the GC's additional insured status ended when the sub left. With CG 2037, the sub's insurer still defends and indemnifies the GC.
The gap no one plans for: most GCs do a reasonable job of collecting COIs during the project. Many fail to verify that CG 2037 is specifically listed — they accept any reference to "additional insured" and assume it covers the whole project. The endorsement form number is the only reliable check.
How to verify both endorsements on a COI
The ACORD 25 form doesn't have separate fields for CG 2010 and CG 2037 — the references live in Box 17 (Description of Operations), and the endorsements themselves live on the policy. Here's exactly what to look for:
01
Read Box 17 — Description of Operations
Look for explicit references to both form numbers. Acceptable language: "[Your Company Name] is named as additional insured for ongoing and completed operations per CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 as required by written contract." A generic "additional insured as required by contract" without the form numbers is a red flag — you don't know which endorsement, if any, is actually on the policy.
02
Request the endorsement pages for high-value work
The Description of Operations is the agent's representation — it doesn't modify the policy. For projects where completed-operations exposure is significant (structural, roofing, mechanical), ask the sub's broker to attach actual copies of the CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 endorsement pages. These are short ISO forms that list the additional insured, and their presence in the policy documents is the proof that coverage exists.
03
Check the products-completed operations aggregate separately
On the ACORD 25, the Products-Completed Operations Aggregate is listed in the GL section. This is the limit available for completed operations claims. Some subs carry a lower comp-ops aggregate than your contract requires — a sub with $1M per occurrence but only a $1M comp-ops aggregate has less protection available than you may think if multiple completed-ops claims arise.
04
Verify primary and non-contributory covers both phases
Primary and non-contributory (P&NC) language should apply to both ongoing and completed operations. Language like "primary and non-contributory for ongoing and completed operations" — or "as required by written contract" where the contract requires both CG 2010 and CG 2037 — is the standard. Without P&NC, the sub's insurer can seek contribution from your policy in a claim.
How TrackMyVendor automates this
The Box 17 description of operations is read off every certificate, along with each coverage row's limits — the products-completed operations aggregate included — so steps 01 and 03 are a read of fields, not of a PDF.
Endorsement pages uploaded with the certificate are matched by form number, so CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 are two separate answers rather than one tick next to "additional insured".
Pro
Your minimums are set once and each certificate is measured against them, so a comp-ops aggregate below your requirement shows as short.
Reading an endorsement is not a legal opinion on it. Whether a given edition satisfies your prime contract is a question for your broker or counsel; we tell you which form is actually attached.
How CG 2010 and CG 2037 appear on the ACORD 25 form
The ACORD 25 (Certificate of Liability Insurance) is the form you receive when you request a COI from a sub. It doesn't have dedicated fields for CG 2010 or CG 2037 — you need to know where to look. Here's how each relevant element maps to the ACORD 25 layout:
Box 17 — Description of Operations / Locations / Vehicles
This is the only field on the ACORD 25 where the specific additional insured endorsements are named. The sub's broker types the references here. For compliant 20/37 coverage, Box 17 should include something like:
"[Your Company Name] is named as Additional Insured for ongoing and completed operations per CG 20 10 04 13 and CG 20 37 04 13 as required by written contract. Primary and non-contributory applies."
Acceptable: Both form numbers explicitly listed ("CG 20 10 and CG 20 37" or "ongoing and completed operations")
Red flag: "Additional insured as required by contract" with no form numbers — doesn't confirm which endorsements are actually on the policy
Red flag: Only CG 20 10 listed — completed operations coverage is missing
Red flag: Box 17 is blank — no endorsement evidence at all
GL section — "ADDL INSD" and "SUBR WVD" checkboxes
In the Commercial General Liability row, two checkboxes appear: ADDL INSD (Additional Insured) and SUBR WVD (Subrogation Waived). The broker checks these to indicate the endorsements are present on the policy.
A checked ADDL INSD box is a necessary signal — but it's not sufficient. The box doesn't distinguish between CG 2010, CG 2037, a blanket endorsement, or a carrier-specific form. Box 17 and the endorsement pages must confirm the specific forms.
The GL section shows several limit fields. The one directly tied to CG 2037 claims is Products-Comp/Op Aggregate — the total limit available across all completed operations claims on the policy. Standard contracts require this to match the General Aggregate ($2M is common).
A policy showing $2M General Aggregate / $1M Products-Comp/Op Aggregate provides less completed operations protection than a standard contract requires. Check both numbers, not just the headline GL limit.
Certificate Holder box vs. Additional Insured — the difference that matters
The Certificate Holder box (bottom-left of the ACORD 25) contains your company name and address. Being listed as Certificate Holder means you receive the COI — it does not give you additional insured status or any coverage rights.
Additional insured status — the protection CG 2010 and CG 2037 provide — comes only from the endorsements on the sub's policy, which Box 17 references. A COI that lists you as Certificate Holder with a blank Box 17 is no evidence of additional insured coverage at all. See who the certificate holder is for more.
Checking for both forms automatically
Everything above is a manual read of a PDF, repeated for every sub, every renewal. TrackMyVendor does the same read on upload. When a sub sends the endorsement pages — behind the certificate in one file, or on their own — the form number is what gets matched, because the number is the one thing on the page carriers print consistently.
Both forms, matched by number
CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 are recognized by their printed form number rather than by the title a carrier put on the cover sheet. CG 20 01 — the one CG 20 form that is not an additional insured endorsement — is filed as primary and non-contributory, where it belongs.
Ongoing and completed named separately
Each additional insured endorsement is labelled ongoing ops, completed ops, or both. A package carrying CG 20 10 alone reads as ongoing operations only — not as a green tick next to "additional insured", which is how the completed-operations gap normally goes unnoticed.
Blanket or scheduled, with the schedule
A blanket endorsement is recorded as blanket. A scheduled one is recorded with the names actually printed on its schedule — so you can see whether your legal entity is on it, which is the difference between being covered and not.
A ticked box is not the endorsement
The ADDL INSD column on the certificate is read as a separate claim. When a row is ticked and no endorsement form is on file behind it, that shows as a gap — claimed on the certificate but not on file — instead of counting as coverage you don't have.
Across everything a sub has sent you, four protections read as on file or not on file: Additional Insured, Waiver of Subrogation, Primary & Non-Contributory and Notice of Cancellation. Expired endorsements are kept separate from missing ones, and an endorsement with no dates of its own runs with the policy it amends rather than reading as lapsed.
Endorsement reading is on the Pro plan — 30-day trial, no credit card. Certificate parsing, expiration tracking and one-time upload links for subs are on every plan, including Free. Compare plans · What we read from a COI
Common mistakes GCs make with these endorsements
These are the ones that surface when a completed-operations claim is filed — usually long after anyone looked at the certificate.
Accepting "additional insured per contract" without form numbers
Agents sometimes write vague additional insured language in Box 17 without specifying which endorsement form. This doesn't tell you whether CG 2010, CG 2037, or both are on the policy — or whether a carrier-specific form is equivalent to the ISO standard form.
Requiring only CG 2010 in the subcontract
Some older or informal subcontract templates only reference CG 2010. Without CG 2037 in the contract language, the sub's broker has no obligation to add it — and you have no leverage to demand it after the fact.
Assuming blanket additional insured endorsements are equivalent
Some carriers use a single blanket additional insured endorsement (such as CG 20 33) that covers whoever the sub is contractually required to add. CG 20 33 itself covers ongoing operations only — completed operations needs CG 20 37 or an automatic-status equivalent such as CG 20 39 or CG 20 40 — and carrier forms may carry limitations not present in the ISO forms. Check with your broker before accepting a blanket form in place of the specified ISO forms.
Not tracking renewals through the completed operations period
CG 2037 protection depends on the endorsement staying on each renewed policy. If the sub renews and CG 2037 is dropped or its wording changes, your completed operations coverage for work already done can lapse. For longer projects and high-risk trades, require a fresh COI every year through the completed operations period.
How TrackMyVendor automates this
Each coverage row carries its own expiration date, so the general liability policy that holds CG 20 37 is tracked to its own renewal, not to one date per sub.
Per-deadline reminders at 90, 60, 30 and 7 days go to your team and to the sub, and the sub’s copy carries the upload link — so the renewed certificate and its endorsements come back without anyone chasing.
Starter and above
An endorsement that expired is kept apart from one that was never sent, so a renewal that dropped CG 20 37 shows as exactly that.
Pro
Primary and non-contributory: what the endorsement says
Beyond CG 2010 and CG 2037, most GC subcontracts require the sub's policy to be primary and non-contributory (P&NC) with respect to the GC's own insurance. This is a separate endorsement requirement — and one of the most commonly missing items on an otherwise complete COI. See primary and noncontributory for what it changes in a claim.
What "primary" means
The sub's policy responds first in a covered loss — before the GC's own policy is touched. Without this language, both insurers can dispute which policy is primary, delaying the claim and potentially burning the GC's own limits while the dispute plays out.
What "non-contributory" means
The sub's insurer cannot demand contribution from the GC's carrier. Without it, the GC's policy may pay a share of a loss the sub caused, and its aggregate limits are reduced accordingly.
Primary and non-contributory wording to look for on a COI
Look in Box 17 — the Description of Operations on the ACORD 25. Acceptable wording: "The above referenced additional insured is primary and non-contributory with respect to any other insurance maintained by the certificate holder, per written contract." For projects with significant exposure, require a formal primary and non-contributory endorsement form (such as CG 20 01) attached to the policy — not just a Box 17 notation, which the carrier is not bound by.
Non-contributory status does not appear on the ACORD 25 by default. It must be required in your subcontract, confirmed in the Description of Operations, and backed by an endorsement on the policy itself. The COI for subcontractors guide covers the waiver of subrogation that usually travels with it.
Checking endorsements across your subs?
Do it by hand properly, or stop doing it by hand.
Free template
The COI tracking spreadsheet
A pre-formatted .xlsx with columns for certificate details, licence numbers, expiration dates and W-9 status, plus an Instructions tab. Tell us where to send it — no account to create.
Recommended
Stop maintaining it by hand
Let the subs fill it in
Your first 25 subs are free. They upload through a one-time link and AI reads every coverage row and its dates. On Pro, the endorsement pages are read too — CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 matched by form number, with the gap shown when only one is there.
CG 2010 is the ISO form CG 20 10 — Additional Insured for Ongoing Operations. It adds the GC (and often the project owner) as an additional insured on the sub's GL policy, but only for claims arising while the sub is actively performing work. Once the sub completes their scope, CG 2010 coverage for the GC ends. The current standard edition is CG 20 10 04 13.
What is the CG 2037 endorsement?
CG 2037 is ISO form CG 20 37 — Additional Insured for Completed Operations. It extends the GC's additional insured status beyond project completion, covering claims that arise after the sub's work is done and accepted. This is critical because many construction defect and injury claims surface months or years after project completion. The current edition is CG 20 37 04 13.
What is the difference between CG 2010 and CG 2037?
The difference is timing. CG 2010 covers the period while the sub is actively working on the project. CG 2037 covers the period after the sub's work is complete. They aren't alternatives — they're complements. CG 2010 without CG 2037 leaves the GC unprotected the moment the sub wraps up their scope. Both forms together provide continuous additional insured coverage through the completed operations period.
Do I need both CG 2010 and CG 2037?
Yes, for any project where post-completion liability exposure exists — which is virtually every construction project. The combination is referred to as "20/37" in contract language, and most GC subcontract insurance exhibits require both forms. If your subcontract only references CG 2010, update it.
How do I verify CG 2010 and CG 2037 on a COI?
Look in the Description of Operations field (Box 17 on the ACORD 25). Both form numbers should be explicitly referenced — "CG 20 10 and CG 20 37" or "ongoing and completed operations." A generic "additional insured per written contract" without form numbers doesn't confirm which endorsements are actually on the policy. For significant projects, request copies of the actual endorsement pages from the sub's broker.
What does "20/37" mean on a COI or in a contract?
"20/37" is shorthand used by GCs and insurance professionals for the combination of CG 20 10 (ongoing operations) and CG 20 37 (completed operations). When a subcontract says "sub must provide additional insured status on a 20/37 basis," it means both forms are required. If you see this in a contract you've received as a sub, you'll need your broker to add both endorsements to your GL policy before the GC will accept your COI.
Where do CG 2010 and CG 2037 appear on the ACORD 25 form?
Both endorsements are referenced in Box 17 — the Description of Operations field at the bottom of the ACORD 25. Look for text that explicitly names both CG 20 10 and CG 20 37. In the GL section, check that the ADDL INSD checkbox is checked and that the Products-Comp/Op Aggregate limit meets your contract minimums — this is the coverage pool for completed operations claims. Being listed in the Certificate Holder box (bottom-left) does not grant additional insured status; only the endorsements on the policy do that.
What is the ACORD 27 form, and do GCs need it?
ACORD 27 is the Evidence of Property Insurance form — used to confirm a property insurance policy (such as builder's risk or commercial property) is in force. It is a different form from the ACORD 25. GCs most commonly encounter ACORD 27 when a project lender or owner requires proof that builder's risk coverage exists for the project. It is not the form used to verify subcontractor liability insurance or additional insured endorsements — that's the ACORD 25. If a sub sends you an ACORD 27 instead of an ACORD 25, they've sent the wrong document.
What is the difference between ACORD 25, ACORD 27, and ACORD 28?
ACORD 25 is the Certificate of Liability Insurance — the standard form GCs use to verify subcontractor GL, WC, and additional insured status, and where CG 2010 and CG 2037 are referenced. ACORD 27 is the Evidence of Property Insurance, confirming a property policy such as builder's risk is in force; lenders and owners request it. ACORD 28 is the Evidence of Commercial Property Insurance, a more detailed version of ACORD 27 often requested when a lender needs to be named as loss payee. For subcontractor compliance, GCs work with the ACORD 25.
