Certificates of Insurance for Contractors in Miami-Dade: What Clients Ask For

An HOA board, a property manager or a general contractor tells you: “Send us your COI before you start.” For a pressure washer, a handyman or a roofer, that one page can decide whether the job goes ahead this week. Here is what it is, what clients check and what Florida and Miami-Dade require.

What a certificate of insurance is, and what it is not

A certificate of insurance (COI) is a one-page summary, issued through your agent or insurer, of the policies you have on the day it is issued: the insurer, policy numbers, dates and limits. It is evidence of coverage, not the coverage itself. The policy and its endorsements decide what is covered.

Florida law backs that up. Knowingly issuing or circulating a property and casualty certificate that was altered after it was issued and misrepresents the policy is an unfair and deceptive practice (s. 626.9541(1)(a)). And an insurer must, on request, verify a certificate of insurance for a contractor (s. 624.447), meaning anyone who contracts to perform construction or building services regulated by state or local law (s. 768.0425).

What clients look for on the certificate

Forms vary, but most liability certificates have the same boxes. The list Florida’s Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) uses when it audits a licensee is a good checklist for anyone (Rule 61G4-15.003):

• Named insured: the exact name of your business, plus any d/b/a. A certificate in your personal name when the contract is with your LLC is a common reason a client sends it back.
• Insurer, policy number and dates: effective and expiration dates for each policy shown.
• Limits: for general liability, usually per-occurrence and aggregate amounts. Workers’ comp and commercial auto have their own lines.
• Certificate holder: whoever asked for the certificate, such as the HOA, the management company or the general contractor.
• Description of operations: the type of work, and sometimes the project address.
• Date issued and the agent’s signature.

Certificate holder vs. additional insured

This is the request that confuses people most. A certificate holder simply receives the certificate as proof that you carry insurance. Being listed as a holder gives them no rights under your policy. An additional insured is someone your policy is extended to protect, usually for claims arising from your work for them. That status comes from an endorsement on the policy, not from typing a name on the certificate.

Two more phrases often appear in contracts:

• Waiver of subrogation: your insurer gives up the right to recover what it paid on a claim from the client. It usually needs an endorsement, and not every policy allows it.
• Primary and non-contributory: your policy responds before the client’s own insurance, without asking it to share. This also depends on the policy wording.

This is general information, not legal advice, and it does not describe any particular policy. Send us the insurance section of the contract before you sign and we will tell you what your current policy supports.

Licensed contractors: what the state requires

If you hold a state certification or registration from the CILB, insurance is part of the license. Before the license is first issued and at every renewal, you sign an affidavit that you carry workers’ compensation as required by chapter 440, plus public liability and property damage insurance in amounts set by board rule (s. 489.115(5)). The rule sets these minimums (Rule 61G4-15.003; DBPR):

• General and building contractors: $300,000 liability and $50,000 property damage.
• Residential contractors and most other categories (roofing, plumbing, air conditioning, pool and others): $100,000 liability and $25,000 property damage.

The coverage must stay in force as long as the license is active. The board audits licensees at random, and a selected licensee has 30 days from the request to send proof, typically a certificate naming the CILB as certificate holder, showing the license number and promising 30 days’ written notice of cancellation. The DBPR adds that active licensees must keep workers’ comp or an exemption. Electrical contractors are licensed by a separate state board.

Miami-Dade’s own paperwork

Chapter 10 of the county code requires anyone working as a contractor or subcontractor in construction, in incorporated and unincorporated areas alike, to be certified by the county’s Construction Trades Qualifying Board (CTQB), the CILB or the state electrical board (Miami-Dade RER). Then:

• County certificate of competency: the county needs a general liability certificate with at least $300,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage per occurrence, in the business’s name and made out to the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER). The policy must be endorsed to notify the CTQB at least 30 days before cancellation (Miami-Dade).
• State-certified contractors in unincorporated Miami-Dade: before you can get permits there, the county verifies your license and asks for your general liability certificate (same minimums) and your workers’ comp certificate or exemption, with Miami-Dade County as certificate holder (Miami-Dade).
• Permits: proof of workers’ comp is shown to the municipal building department when you pull permits.

Cities can add their own steps, so check with the building department where the job is. A business tax receipt is a separate requirement; our guide to opening a small business in Miami-Dade covers it.

Workers’ comp certificates go both ways

If you hire subcontractors, Florida law says you must get evidence of their workers’ comp, or a copy of an officer’s exemption certificate, and you can become liable for the workers of an uninsured sub (s. 440.10(1)). You can look up a company’s reported policy or an officer’s exemption in the state’s Proof of Coverage and Exemption search. For helpers paid on a 1099, see employee or 1099 under Florida workers’ comp.

How to keep certificates from slowing you down

1. Ask for the client’s requirements in writing: limits, the exact holder name and address, and any additional insured, waiver or notice wording.
2. Send that request to your agent before you sign, not on the morning of the job.
3. Make sure the named insured matches the name on your contract and license.
4. Watch expiration dates. When your policy renews, clients with ongoing work usually ask for a new certificate.
5. Keep your subs’ certificates on file and check their dates too.

For coverage built around HOA and property-manager work, see our pressure washing insurance page. General contractors and remodelers can start with contractor insurance in Florida, and repair businesses with handyman insurance. See also general liability and our guide to Chapter 558 defect notices.