A property manager's guide to reading and verifying Certificates of Insurance — coverage types, minimum limits, additional insured endorsements, and red flags.
Every commercial landscape contract should require a Certificate of Insurance (COI) with specific minimums. Required coverage types and minimum limits: General Liability — $2M per occurrence, $4M aggregate, covering bodily injury, property damage, and completed operations. Workers Compensation — statutory limits with employer liability of $1M/$1M/$1M. Commercial Auto — $1M combined single limit covering owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles. Umbrella/Excess Liability — $2M-$5M depending on property size and risk profile. Critical endorsements: Additional Insured endorsement naming your property/management company, Waiver of Subrogation in your favor, Primary and Non-Contributory language, and 30-day advance notice of cancellation. Red flags to watch: COIs that list the general contractor as the named insured instead of the actual landscape company, coverage effective dates that don't span the full contract term, or "owner/operator" exclusions that void coverage for the company principal. Verify every COI independently by calling the insurance carrier — fraudulent certificates are unfortunately common in the landscape industry.