Contractor insurance verification checklist: what to record and ask Organize the business name, coverage documents, dates and unanswered questions before relying on a contractor’s insurance evidence. Includes an editable follow-up worksheet and Washington examples. Published and reviewed: 2026-10-08 Evidence-organizing guide, reviewed October 8, 2026. Washington examples are labeled; the worksheet does not certify coverage or provide a project-specific insurance recommendation. Treat the certificate as a starting document A certificate of insurance summarizes evidence of coverage; it is not the full policy. Washington’s certificate rule says the certificate does not add rights beyond the referenced policy. The policy’s terms, exclusions and conditions still matter. Ask the issuing insurance professional to explain the documents relevant to your project rather than inferring coverage from a logo or a checked box. This worksheet organizes questions and supporting records. It does not choose coverage limits, interpret exclusions or determine whether a claim would be covered. Those decisions belong with the insurer or a licensed insurance professional familiar with the work. Washington WAC 284-30-355: certificates of insurance: https://app.leg.wa.gov/waC/default.aspx?cite=284-30-355 Collect an evidence packet, not a yes/no label Record | Question to resolve | Keep in your notes Business identity | Does the insured name match the contracting entity? | Exact names and the explanation for any difference Document source | Who issued this document, and how was it confirmed? | Issuer, source link or document reference, date checked Policy dates | What period is shown, and what happens if work extends beyond it? | Effective and expiration dates; renewal follow-up Work and parties | Which operations and parties are addressed by the relevant policy documents? | Question sent to the insurance professional and their answer Separate records | Which bond, workers’ compensation or other records need their own check? | Separate source and status for each applicable item Use the Washington public record for its specific purpose Washington L&I’s Verify guidance provides a starting point for contractor registration, bond information and workers’ compensation account information. Preserve those observations separately from a general liability certificate. Finding one record does not resolve every insurance question. If the public result and a document disagree, write down both dates and the exact fields that differ. Ask L&I about the agency record and the issuer about the insurance document. Do not resolve a mismatch by keeping whichever result is more reassuring. L&I: what the Verify tool shows: https://www.lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/contractors/hiring-a-contractor/verify-contractor-tradesperson-business A fictional example: the dates do not line up A proposal schedules work for November, but the certificate supplied with it shows a policy period ending in October. The useful conclusion is that evidence for the later work period remains unresolved. It is not proof that the business has no renewal, and it is not a reason to assume the renewal already exists. A precise follow-up is: “Please have the issuing insurance professional provide the current evidence for the entity on this proposal and explain the documents relevant to the scheduled work.” Record who owns that request, its due date and the response. Keep the original document so a reviewer can see why you asked. If a subcontractor is added later, create a separate evidence entry for that business. Do not copy the general contractor’s document into the subcontractor’s row and mark the question complete. Close the loop before the information goes stale Use the worksheet to separate “not checked,” “question outstanding” and “evidence recorded.” The last status means you have written down a source or an answer, not that this website has approved the coverage. Empty evidence notes remain open tasks. Save your notes before leaving the page. Set a real owner and follow-up date in the system your team already uses; downloading a worksheet does not create a reminder. Revisit the records when the business, work, schedule or documents change. The Washington source is an example of one jurisdiction. For work elsewhere, start with the responsible state agency and the insurance professional; do not carry Washington requirements into another state. WORKSHEET — fill in your own evidence [ ] Match the named insured with the proposal’s legal entity. Evidence / source / next action: ____________________ [ ] Record the issuer and date of each source check. Evidence / source / next action: ____________________ [ ] Preserve policy dates and any renewal question. Evidence / source / next action: ____________________ [ ] Ask the issuer about relevant policy documents and project questions. Evidence / source / next action: ____________________ [ ] Track bond and worker coverage separately where applicable. Evidence / source / next action: ____________________ [ ] Assign each unresolved question to an owner. Evidence / source / next action: ____________________ SOURCES Washington L&I: Verify guidance: https://www.lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/contractors/hiring-a-contractor/verify-contractor-tradesperson-business Washington WAC 284-30-355: certificates of insurance: https://app.leg.wa.gov/waC/default.aspx?cite=284-30-355 Interactive version: https://www.observedwork.com/resources/contractor-insurance-verification-checklist