You carry good insurance. You know it. Your broker knows it. But every general contractor you work with asks for your certificate of insurance — often multiple times, often urgently, often with specific requirements you’re seeing for the first time. Here’s how to get ahead of that friction.
If you’re a subcontractor doing business with multiple general contractors, you’ve lived this scenario: a GC calls at 8am needing your COI by 9am before their crew can mobilize. You call your broker, your broker calls the carrier, the carrier issues the certificate, your broker emails it back, you forward it to the GC — and by the time everything arrives, the crew has been sitting idle for two hours.
Then the same thing happens next week with a different GC. And next month when the first GC’s compliance team asks for an updated certificate because the previous one expired. The friction doesn’t go away. It just repeats.
The Outbound COI Problem for Subcontractors
Managing outbound certificates of insurance is a hidden operational burden for most subcontractors. Here’s what it typically looks like at scale:
- You work with 8–15 GCs in a given year, each with different COI requirements
- Each GC wants their specific additional insured language, certificate holder wording, and often specific endorsement forms
- Each COI request goes through your broker, adding 1–24 hours of turnaround time
- When your policies renew in January or July, every active GC needs an updated certificate — simultaneously
- Some GCs use compliance platforms that need you to upload directly, with no login or with a new login every time
- You’re tracking which GC has which version of your certificate in email threads that go back years
What GCs Actually Need From Your COI
Understanding what GCs are actually verifying helps you be a better compliance partner — and helps you anticipate requests before they become urgent.
When a GC requests your COI, they’re typically verifying:
- Coverage types and limits — GL, Workers Comp, Commercial Auto, and Umbrella at their required minimums
- Additional Insured status — Specifically via CG 20 10 (ongoing operations) and often CG 20 37 (completed operations)
- Primary and Non-Contributory language — Confirming the sub’s policy pays first in the event of a shared claim
- Waiver of Subrogation — Confirming the insurer waives its right to recover against the GC
- Named insured accuracy — The legal name on the COI must match the entity name on the contract
- Expiration dates — Coverage must extend through the project duration (or be renewed and re-submitted)
The more of these you can proactively confirm before a GC asks — by having a current, complete COI package ready to share — the smoother every compliance interaction becomes.
How Billy’s Insurance Wallet Works
Billy’s Insurance Wallet is a free tool for subcontractors that creates a single, centralized store for your insurance documents — COIs, endorsements, W9s, business licenses, and any other compliance documents — that you can share instantly with any GC who requests them.
Here’s what makes it different from emailing PDFs:
One central store
All your insurance documents live in one place. Your broker can upload directly. You’re not managing PDFs across email threads.
Share with one click
Send any GC a link to your current documents. No login required on their end. No email attachments. No phone calls to your broker.
Renewal reminders
Billy alerts you (and your broker) before your policies expire — so you’re never caught off guard when a GC asks for updated documents.
GC-ready format
When a GC uses Billy, your documents go directly into their compliance platform. No manual data entry on their end, faster approval for you.
The Wallet is completely free for subcontractors — Billy is paid for by GCs, not by the subs they work with. This is a deliberate difference from platforms like ISNetworld ($875+/year) and Avetta ($799+/year) that charge subcontractors to participate in compliance programs.
Getting Started: Set Up Your Insurance Wallet in 15 Minutes
- Contact your broker — Tell them you’re setting up a Billy Insurance Wallet. Share the Wallet link with them. Your broker can upload your current COIs and endorsements directly, saving you the step of forwarding documents.
- Upload your current documents — At minimum: GL COI, WC COI, Commercial Auto COI (if applicable), Umbrella COI, and any endorsement forms (CG 20 10, CG 20 37, PNC, Waiver of Subrogation).
- Add your W9 and business license — Many GCs request these alongside insurance documents. Having them in your Wallet saves a separate conversation.
- Share the Wallet link with active GCs — Any GC using Billy can pull your documents directly from your Wallet. For GCs not on Billy, you can share a direct link to your documents.
- Set up broker renewal access — Give your broker access to upload updated COIs at every policy renewal. Your Wallet stays current without you having to touch it.
Set Up Your Free Insurance Wallet
Store your COIs, endorsements, W9, and business license in one place. Share with any GC instantly. Free, always.
Get Your Free Insurance Wallet →Frequently Asked Questions
Does my GC need to use Billy for the Insurance Wallet to work?
No. You can share your documents with any GC via a direct link, whether or not they use Billy. When a GC does use Billy, your documents flow directly into their compliance platform — which makes your approval process faster.
Can my broker upload directly to my Wallet?
Yes. You can give your broker access to your Insurance Wallet so they can upload new COIs and endorsements directly — which means your Wallet is always current at renewal without any action on your end.
Is there really no cost for subcontractors?
Correct. Billy is paid for by general contractors, not subcontractors. You’ll never be asked to pay to maintain your Wallet or to submit documents to a GC using Billy.
