Who this is for
Any business that has customers on site, works at customer premises, or is asked for a certificate of insurance before a contract or a lease is signed.
What it typically covers
Bodily injury. A third party hurt at your premises or by your operations.
Property damage. Damage you cause to property belonging to someone else.
Products and completed operations. Claims arising after the work is finished or the goods are sold.
Personal and advertising injury. Libel, slander and copyright claims arising from your advertising.
Defence costs. Legal defence, usually paid in addition to the policy limit.
What it usually doesn’t cover
Employee injuries, which belong on workers’ compensation
Faulty workmanship itself, as opposed to the damage it causes
Professional advice and design errors, which need professional liability
Damage to property in your care, custody or control, unless endorsed
Pollution, and in most contracts anything involving vehicles or aircraft
About that certificate
Most contracts ask for a specific limit and to be named as an additional insured. Send us the contract before you sign it rather than after. Adding the wording afterwards is usually possible, but it occasionally costs more and it always takes longer than the day you need it.
How we’d approach it
We read the insurance clause of the contract you have been handed, write the policy to satisfy it exactly, and issue the certificate the same day where the carrier allows. If the clause asks for something unusual or unreasonable, we will tell you that too.