COI Watchdog for trades
COI tracking for general contractors
You collect certificates of insurance from every subcontractor before they step on site. COI Watchdog keeps the whole stack current, so an expired policy never stalls your project or breaches your prime contract.
The gcs COI headaches
- Dozens of subs, dozens of expiry dates. Tracking them in a spreadsheet means something always slips through.
- Policies expire mid-project. The certificate you collected in March can be worthless by September.
- Prime contracts require additional insured endorsements per project, and proving you have them is its own job.
- One lapsed subcontractor COI can hold up a draw, breach your contract, or leave you exposed if something goes wrong.
How COI Watchdog helps
- See every sub's certificate status on one screen before you cut the next pay app.
- Snap a photo of any COI and see its expiry dates and missing coverages in seconds — free, no account, the file is never kept.
- One dashboard shows every certificate's status. Expiring soon and expired are flagged automatically, including additional insured and waiver of subrogation status.
- Reminders go out before policies lapse. On paid plans, we email the subcontractor's insurance agent to chase the renewal, under your business name, when you turn that on.
- Expired certificates stay in a read-only archive. Nothing is deleted, so the paper trail is always there.
GCs COI questions
What should I check on a subcontractor's COI?
Start with the dates: every coverage line has its own expiry, and any one of them can lapse mid-project. Then check whether you are listed as the certificate holder, and whether additional insured and waiver of subrogation show up the way your contract requires. COI Watchdog reads all of that off the certificate so you can see it at a glance. It does not advise what coverage to require — that is between you and your insurance professional.
Does COI Watchdog verify the coverage is real?
No. A certificate summarizes a policy; we read certificates but we don't verify coverage with the carrier. What we do is make sure you always know what your certificates say and when they expire.
My subs never send renewals on time. What changes?
On paid plans, when you turn it on, COI Watchdog emails the subcontractor's insurance agent directly to request the renewed certificate, under your business name. You stop being the middleman in the chase.
What happens to old certificates?
Nothing is deleted. Expired certificates stay in your archive as read-only records you can view and download any time.
Other trades
Roofing contractors
Roofing is the trade owners and GCs scrutinize hardest on insurance.
COI tracking for roofers →
Electrical contractors
No current COI, no site access.
COI tracking for electricians →
Plumbing contractors
Water damage is the claim everyone fears, so property managers read your COI closely.
COI tracking for plumbers →
HVAC contractors
Commercial maintenance agreements require a current COI on file before the first visit.
COI tracking for hvac →
Painting contractors
Small crews, constant COI requests, no time for paperwork.
COI tracking for painters →
Landscaping contractors
Commercial HOAs want your COI before the mowers roll.
COI tracking for landscapers →
Concrete contractors
Heavy equipment, strict insurance specs, zero tolerance for lapsed paperwork.
COI tracking for concrete →
Check a gcs COI right now
Snap a photo of any certificate. See when it expires and what's missing, in seconds. Free, no account.