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Certificate of Insurance (COI) Explained

MurphPay tracks your Liability, Auto, and Workers Comp coverage continuously, not just at submission. Here's what a COI is, what it proves, and how to keep your coverage current.

4 min read

A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is a one-page document issued by your insurance provider that summarizes your current insurance coverage. It proves to the GC and owner that you carry the required insurance before you start work on their project. It does not transfer insurance coverage — it just confirms it exists.

What coverages are typically required

General Liability: Covers bodily injury and property damage caused by your work. Most projects require at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. Workers Compensation: Required if you have employees. Covers work-related injuries. Auto Liability: Covers vehicles used in connection with the work. Some projects also require Umbrella/Excess Liability for higher coverage limits.

Additional insured

Most GCs will require you to add them (and sometimes the owner) as 'Additional Insured' on your general liability policy. This means they're covered under your policy for claims arising from your work. Your insurance agent can add this — it typically requires a simple endorsement. Make sure the additional insured language on your COI matches exactly what your contract requires.

How MurphPay tracks your insurance

MurphPay tracks Liability, Auto, and Workers Comp coverage separately in your sub portal's Insurance section — each policy has its own COI upload and expiration date, not a single bundled submission per pay app. Enter the expiration date exactly as it appears on the COI; that date is what drives status and alerts, not the upload date.

Keeping coverage current

A policy shows Active, Expiring Soon (within 30 days), or Expired/Missing. Your GC sees the same status on their dashboard and can't miss a lapse. When a policy renews, upload the new COI and update the expiration date in the same Insurance section — you don't need to wait for a specific pay app to do it. An expired or missing policy blocks payment approval on any pay app until it's updated, so renew before the old one lapses, not after.

Insurance requirements vary by contract and project. This is general educational information, not legal or insurance advice. Consult your insurance broker for coverage specific to your business.

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