Billy vs Certificial for Construction COI Tracking
An honest comparison for general contractors, developers, and construction managers evaluating certificate-of-insurance tracking software in 2026.
At a glance
| Capability | Billy | Certificial |
|---|---|---|
| Primary industry | Construction | Insurance agencies & broker networks |
| Procore integration | Deep — includes Side Panel | Limited |
| Autodesk / CMiC / Sage / JD Edwards | Native | Not native |
| Subcontractor prequalification | Yes | No |
| Warranty tracking | Yes | No |
| W9 & business licenses | Yes | No |
| AI document review | AI Review Assistant, tuned for construction | Yes, paired with network data |
| Managed review SLA | 48 hours | Varies |
| Managed service option | Yes | Self-service + network |
| Real-time policy monitoring | Through partner brokers | Smart COI Network |
| Fraud detection | AI + human verification | Network-verified |
| Best for | Construction GCs managing 50–5,000+ subs | Agencies & requesters with networked vendors |
Who each platform is built for
Built exclusively for construction
Billy is a construction compliance platform designed specifically for general contractors, developers, and construction managers:
- Construction-specific document handling — CG 20 10, CG 20 37, waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory
- Integrations with the tools GCs already use: Procore, Sage, JD Edwards, Autodesk
- Subcontractor-facing tools: Insurance Wallet, free W9 generator, no-login document upload
- Prequalification, warranty tracking, and business license collection
Billy serves 1,000+ GCs, including Broadway Construction Group.
Built for insurance networks and brokers
Certificial is a certificate-of-insurance data infrastructure platform. Its core innovation is the Smart COI Network — a real-time data layer connecting insurance agencies, carriers, and COI requesters.
The network effect only matters if your subcontractors’ insurance agencies are already on Certificial. For many construction workflows — smaller local subs, out-of-state trades — the real-time layer degrades into a standard COI collection tool.
Certificial’s strongest fits are insurance agencies issuing COIs to clients, enterprise requesters with network-heavy vendor pools, and broker-driven compliance workflows.
Where they overlap
Both platforms handle the core COI tracking job: collect certificates from vendors, parse and store them, flag non-compliant documents, send renewal reminders, offer dashboards and reporting, provide fraud protection (through different mechanisms), and include AI-assisted document review.
If your only requirement is “collect COIs and send reminders,” either platform can do it. The differences emerge when you look at construction-specific workflows.
Seven key differences construction teams should know
01. Industry focus
Billy is construction-first. The documentation, dashboards, vendor communication templates, and review logic are all built around construction-industry norms.
Certificial is industry-agnostic. It’s used by property management firms, retailers, facilities operators, and insurance agencies alongside construction. The product reflects this breadth rather than depth.
Why it matters for GCs. Construction endorsements are weirder and riskier than most industries’ COI needs. A platform that doesn’t natively understand additional insured endorsements, waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory, or CG 20 10 07 04 vs CG 20 10 04 13 will quietly let deficiencies through.
02. Procore and construction tech integrations
Billy ships with native integrations to:
- Procore, including the Procore Side Panel, which lets PMs review compliance without leaving Procore
- Autodesk Construction Cloud
- CMiC
- Sage 300 and Sage Intacct
- JD Edwards
- Viewpoint Vista
- Acumatica and DocuSign
Certificial has limited direct construction-tech integration depth. If your team lives in Procore and your accounting runs in Sage, the day-to-day workflow difference is significant.
Why it matters. A COI tool your PMs never look at is worse than a slightly less sophisticated tool they check daily.
03. Subcontractor experience
Billy’s vendor-side UX includes no-login document upload (vendor or their broker can submit without creating an account), the Insurance Wallet for storing and reusing compliance docs, and free tools — W9 generator, lien waiver forms, warranty forms — that give subs a reason to actually use the platform.
Certificial’s network model requires broker participation on the other side. When the broker isn’t on the network, the vendor experience falls back to manual upload.
04. Review model
Billy offers a hybrid model:
- Self-service tier — software handles the workflow, your team reviews
- Managed tier — Billy’s in-house reviewers handle documents with a 48-hour SLA
- AI Review Assistant — reads and flags deficiencies on construction-specific language
You can start self-serve and graduate to managed as your portfolio grows. Certificial is primarily self-service plus the network layer, with no equivalent dedicated managed-review tier.
05. Subcontractor prequalification
Billy includes a prequalification workflow: collect financials, safety records, bonding capacity, and references alongside insurance documents. Certificial does not offer prequalification. If prequal matters to your workflow — and for most commercial GCs it does — you’ll need a separate tool.
06. Compliance beyond COIs
Billy tracks the full compliance stack GCs care about: certificates of insurance, W9 tax forms, business licenses, workers’ compensation certificates, warranty documents, lien waivers, and endorsement schedules. Certificial is focused primarily on the COI itself, with less breadth across adjacent compliance documents.
07. Pricing model
Billy is sold per-project / per-vendor, with managed-service upgrades available. Self-service is accessible for smaller GCs. Certificial operates on a network-effects model — pricing benefits scale with network density. For GCs whose subs aren’t on the network, cost-per-verified-COI can be higher in practice than the sticker price suggests.
Customer proof: Billy in construction
Billy is trusted by commercial general contractors managing subcontractor compliance at scale:
- Broadway Construction Group — one of Manhattan’s top general contractors, detailed in a published case study
- 1,000+ GCs across the United States
- Projects integrating with Procore, Autodesk, Sage, and other construction-first platforms
Public reviews are available on Capterra, Software Advice, GetApp, and Trustpilot. Learn more about the team behind Billy.
When to choose which
Choose Billy if
- You’re a general contractor, developer, or construction manager
- Your team uses Procore, Autodesk, CMiC, Sage, or similar construction tools
- You track more than just COIs — W9s, warranties, licenses, prequal
- You want the option to offload review to a managed team
- You work with smaller, local, or out-of-state subs whose brokers may not share a single network
- You care about construction endorsement review (CG 20 10, CG 20 37, waiver of subrogation)
Choose Certificial if
- You’re an insurance agency or broker-led compliance team
- Your vendor base overlaps heavily with Certificial’s agency network
- Real-time policy-change alerts are your top priority and network density supports it
- You don’t need deep Procore or construction-accounting integrations
- Subcontractor prequalification is handled elsewhere
Frequently asked questions
Is Billy only for property management?
No. Billy is purpose-built for construction. Its customer base is 1,000+ general contractors, developers, and construction managers, and its integrations (Procore, Autodesk, CMiC, Sage, JD Edwards) are construction-industry tools.
Does Billy integrate with Procore?
Yes. Billy has a deep Procore integration, including the Procore Side Panel, which lets project managers review compliance status without leaving Procore.
Does Certificial work for construction GCs?
Certificial can be used by construction GCs, but it’s not construction-specialized. It works best when your subcontractors’ insurance agencies are already on the Certificial network.
Which platform is better for subcontractor prequalification?
Billy. Certificial does not offer subcontractor prequalification. Billy includes prequalification as part of its compliance platform.
Does Billy offer managed compliance review?
Yes. Billy offers a managed-services tier with a 48-hour SLA on document review. Teams can start self-service and upgrade as compliance volume grows.
Which platform has better fraud detection for construction?
Both platforms offer fraud detection. Certificial’s model is network-verified. Billy combines its AI Review Assistant with human reviewer validation. For network-connected vendors, Certificial’s approach is strong; for mixed vendor bases, Billy’s hybrid model covers more real-world scenarios.
How do the two platforms price?
Billy is sold on a per-project or per-vendor model with managed-service upgrades. Certificial operates on a network-access model. Specific pricing for both is available through direct sales conversations.
Can I use both Billy and Certificial?
Some enterprise teams run both — Certificial for agency-side issuance and Billy for GC-side collection and workflow. The two are not mutually exclusive, but most construction teams pick one as the system of record.
The bottom line
For construction general contractors evaluating COI tracking software, the decision comes down to whether you need a construction workflow platform or an insurance data network.
Billy is the construction workflow platform: deep Procore and Autodesk integration, construction-specific endorsement review, managed services, subcontractor prequalification, warranty tracking, and a vendor experience built for the way subs actually work.
Certificial is the insurance data network: real-time policy updates from broker-connected agencies, carrier-validated data, and a network model that delivers its best value when vendor brokers are already on the platform.
If your team is a general contractor, developer, or construction manager — Billy is the fit.
See Billy in action
Book a 15-minute demo and see how Billy handles construction COI compliance for GCs like yours.
Request a demo Or start with our free COI tracking template & 2026 audit-ready checklist
