Do I need a Certificate of Insurance?

       Whenever contracting a painting service company be sure to ask for a Certificate of Insurance, otherwise known as a COI. Let your painting contractor know that you prefer to have your name and address added to the certificate as the “Certificate Holder”. In some cases you may wish to add additional insured to the certificate as well. Make sure to read over the complete certificate, and feel free to contact the listed insurance company so that you can verify the document. At the time of contacting your painting contractor’s carrier, you may want to have a list of questions prepared for their agent. Ensure your painting contractor has coverage for General Liability, Commercial Auto, Workers Compensation, and Umbrella Liability. The best time to ask the painter if they are fully insured is at the initial contact when setting up the estimate. Once you have received your painters quote, let their company know your plans to move forward with them and that you would like a Certificate of Insurance prior to starting the job. Never let any painting contractor commence labor on your property without a COI with the correct Certificate Holder information in your possession prior to the paint job start date. Even when doing business with a repeat painting company, always ask for a COI. If the current COI is still valid and work is being commenced at the same property, you can simply reconfirm the COI with the carrier. If you have multiple properties that your painter is going to paint at, ask for a separate COI for each property.