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Electrical subcontractors

Electrical subcontractor COI requirements

Electrical subcontractors carry high-severity exposures (arc flash, energized work, fire from a faulty installation), yet their COIs fail less often than structural trades because larger shops run mature insurance programs. When an electrical packet does fail, the problem is usually in the endorsements: blanket additional insured forms that stop at ongoing operations, and design-build low-voltage scopes sitting under a professional services exclusion.

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Electrical audit

Brightline Electric Co.

Harborview Medical Office Building

Deficient
CGL policy
GL 2290-4471-09
AM Best
A- VIII
Carrier
Allegheny Mutual Casualty Co.
  • DeficientCG 20 38

    Blanket AI covers ongoing operations only. No completed operations form attached.

  • DeficientWC 00 03 13

    Waiver of subrogation missing from the WC policy.

  • ReviewUmbrella

    Umbrella $3,000,000 against $5,000,000 required.

15 rules checked, 2 deficient. Scanned Oct 14, 2026, 9:42 AM ET. Notice sent to sub and broker.
of electrical subcontractor COI packets are deficient on first review
62%
of electrical subcontractor COI packets are deficient on first review
Pikorua Security 2026 Benchmark
trade rank by defect rate, 9 points below the all-trade average
12 of 14
trade rank by defect rate, 9 points below the all-trade average
Pikorua Security 2026 Benchmark
of subcontractor and vendor COIs contain material coverage deficiencies or missing endorsements on first review
71%
of subcontractor and vendor COIs contain material coverage deficiencies or missing endorsements on first review
AGC Risk Committee Audit
of COIs claiming additional insured status fail to attach the CG 20 37 completed operations endorsement
64%
of COIs claiming additional insured status fail to attach the CG 20 37 completed operations endorsement
IRMI Construction Risk Survey

Typical exhibit

Typical electrical insurance requirements

The limits Pikorua Security's electrical rule template starts from. Your subcontract exhibit controls; set it once per project and every electrical certificate is checked against it.
Rules in template
15
Hazard tier
High
Typical insurance requirements for electrical subcontractors
CoverageTypical limitWhat to check
Commercial general liability (CG 00 01, occurrence)$1,000,000 each occurrence / $2,000,000 general aggregateAggregate should apply per project through CG 25 03 so a loss on another job cannot drain the limit on yours.
Products-completed operations aggregate$2,000,000Fires traced to terminations, overloaded panels or bad grounding often surface months after turnover. This aggregate carries that tail.
Business auto liability$1,000,000 combined single limitBucket trucks and service vans. Symbol 1 (any auto) or symbols 7, 8 and 9 together (scheduled, hired, non-owned).
Umbrella / excess liability$5,000,000 each occurrence and aggregateRaise to $10,000,000 on hospitals, data centers and high-rise work. Must schedule CGL, auto and employer's liability as underlying.
Workers compensation / employer's liabilityStatutory / $1,000,000 each accident, $1,000,000 disease each employee, $1,000,000 disease policy limitItem 3.A of the information page must list the project state, with WC 00 03 13 attached.
Contractors professional liability$1,000,000 per claim (design-build scopes)Required when the sub designs low-voltage, fire alarm, solar or lighting control systems, or signs delegated design. Claims-made: check the retro date.
Installation floaterReplacement cost of switchgear and owner-furnished gear until acceptanceLong-lead switchgear stored off site is often outside builder's risk. Confirm who carries the risk of loss before delivery.

Endorsement checklist

Forms to see attached, not just checked

A Y in the ADDL INSD column is not an endorsement. Ask for each form below by number and edition, and read the electrical sub's schedule of forms against it.

Exclusion watchlist

Exclusions that void electrical coverage

These never appear on an ACORD 25. They sit in the declarations schedule of forms and the endorsement pages, which is where Pikorua Security reads.
  • Red flag

    CG 22 79 Exclusion, Contractors, Professional Liability

    Removes CGL coverage for injury or damage arising from design services. On design-build electrical or fire alarm scopes, a fault traced to the sub's own layout can fall outside the CGL entirely unless a separate professional policy responds.

    Read the CG 22 79 guide
  • Red flag

    CG 21 53 Designated ongoing operations (solar, battery storage, utility work)

    Carriers schedule photovoltaic arrays, battery energy storage or utility line work out of the policy. The certificate looks clean while the operation you hired the sub to perform is excluded.

  • Red flag

    Action over / New York Labor Law exclusions

    Manuscript forms that bar claims by the sub's own injured employees against an additional insured. On New York work, Labor Law 240(1) and 241(6) suits by injured electricians land on the owner and GC first, and this is the coverage that should answer them.

  • Red flag

    CG 22 94 Exclusion, Damage to Work Performed by Subcontractors on Your Behalf

    Deletes the subcontractor exception to the your-work exclusion. If the electrical sub lets out low-voltage or controls work to a sub-tier, damage to the completed installation caused by that sub-tier is no longer covered.

    Read the CG 22 94 guide

Why electrical COIs fail differently

Electrical contractors on commercial work tend to be larger, longer-established firms with a dedicated insurance broker, so the basic limits on the ACORD 25 usually clear the exhibit. The deficiencies hide one layer down. A typical packet shows a Y in the ADDL INSD and SUBR WVD columns and attaches a blanket additional insured form such as CG 20 38. That form covers ongoing operations only. Unless the packet also carries a completed operations form (CG 20 37 scheduled, or a blanket CG 20 40 on the 12 19 edition), the GC loses additional insured status the day the work is complete.

Blanket forms also carry a condition that the additional insured status must be required by a written agreement executed before the injury or damage. Electrical subs often work under a master subcontract with project-specific work orders. Pikorua Security reads the blanket wording and checks that your master agreement and work order structure actually triggers it, instead of trusting the Y in the checkbox.

Design-build, low voltage and delegated design

More electrical subs now carry design responsibility: low-voltage and security systems, fire alarm shop drawings, lighting controls, EV charging and rooftop solar. Most contractor CGL policies carry a professional services exclusion, either CG 22 79 or the narrower CG 22 80. CG 22 79 keeps a carve-back for construction means and methods but still excludes the design itself. If the sub designs and installs the system, a claim that the design caused a fire can be argued out of the CGL.

For any scope with design content, require a contractors professional liability policy and read it as a claims-made form. The retroactive date must precede the start of design on your project, and the policy should carry an extended reporting provision that outlasts your completed operations exposure.

  • Ask the sub to confirm in writing whether any engineer of record works for it or under it.
  • Match the professional limit to the value of the systems designed, not a flat $1,000,000.
  • Treat a CG 22 79 on a design-build sub as a deficiency until a professional policy is on file.

Arc flash, energized work and the workers compensation side

Electrical injuries are severe, and an injured electrician's claim against the GC and owner is the classic action over scenario. That is why the employer's liability limit and the umbrella schedule matter as much as the CGL. The umbrella must list employer's liability as underlying, or the third-party-over claim tops out at $1,000,000.

Pikorua Security reads the workers compensation information page, compares the Item 3.A states against the project address, confirms WC 00 03 13 is attached, and flags a mismatch in about 15 seconds, before the sub's crew is issued a badge.

How to verify an electrical sub's COI

A manual review of one COI and its endorsement packet takes 25 to 40 min (CFMA Time Study). These are the six checks, in the order Pikorua Security runs them.

  1. 1

    Match the named insured to the subcontract

    Compare the named insured on the ACORD 25 with the legal entity that signed the electrical subcontract, including the LLC or Inc. suffix. A trade name or DBA is not the contracting entity, and additional insured coverage follows the policy's named insured.

  2. 2

    Check limits against your electrical exhibit

    Confirm commercial general liability of $1,000,000 each occurrence / $2,000,000 general aggregate, an umbrella of $5,000,000 that follows form over CGL, auto and employer's liability, and statutory workers compensation. Then confirm contractors professional liability and installation floater are evidenced, because they do not appear on a standard ACORD 25.

  3. 3

    Read the endorsement pages, not the checkboxes

    A Y in the ADDL INSD or SUBR WVD column is not an endorsement. Confirm CG 20 10, CG 20 37, CG 20 01, CG 24 04, WC 00 03 13, CA 20 48, CG 25 03 and CG 20 38 are attached as forms, and that the ongoing and completed operations forms share the same edition date.

  4. 4

    Scan the schedule of forms for electrical exclusions

    Look for CG 22 79 Exclusion, Contractors, Professional Liability, CG 21 53 Designated ongoing operations, action over / New York Labor Law exclusions and CG 22 94 Exclusion, Damage to Work Performed by Subcontractors on Your Behalf. None of these appear on the certificate; they sit in the declarations schedule of forms and the endorsement pages.

  5. 5

    Check carrier ratings and policy dates

    Confirm each carrier is rated A- VII or better by AM Best and that no policy expires before the electrical scope and its completed operations period are finished. Set renewal reminders at 60, 30, 15 and 0 days.

  6. 6

    Hold payment and site access until resolved

    Keep the electrical sub's pay applications and jobsite badges on hold until every finding is resolved, then file the verified packet so it is ready if you ever need to tender a claim.

Try it

Is this electrical COI compliant?

Toggle what Brightline Electric Co.'s packet shows. The verdict updates the way Pikorua Security's electrical template scores it.

What the packet from Brightline Electric Co. shows

  • CG 20 10 or blanket CG 20 38

  • CG 20 37 or blanket CG 20 40

  • Schedules CGL, auto and EL

  • Project state listed in Item 3.A

  • Without a separate professional policy. Red flag if present.

  • CG 20 01

Switch on = present in the packet. Switch off = missing.

Deficient: 3 findings

  • AI for completed operations attached

    AI status ends at completion; fire losses after turnover are uncovered.

  • Umbrella of $5,000,000 or more

    Umbrella below the $5,000,000 exhibit.

  • CG 22 79 on a design-build scope

    Design-caused losses fall outside the CGL.

Pikorua Security would send a deficiency notice to the sub and its broker citing each item, and hold payment until a corrected endorsement arrives.

Related trades

All 14 trade guides

Questions

Electrical COI questions

What umbrella limit should an electrical subcontractor carry?
Most commercial GC exhibits ask for $5,000,000 for electrical work, rising to $10,000,000 on hospitals, data centers and high-rise projects where an energized fault can cause a building-wide loss. The number that controls is the one in your subcontract exhibit. Pikorua Security compares the umbrella declarations against that exhibit and confirms the umbrella schedules CGL, auto and employer's liability as underlying policies.
Does an electrical subcontractor need professional liability insurance?
Only when the scope includes design: low-voltage, fire alarm, solar, lighting controls or any delegated design the sub signs or subcontracts to an engineer. A pure installation sub working from the engineer of record's drawings usually does not. If a design-build sub's CGL carries CG 22 79, a separate professional policy is the only coverage for a design-caused loss.
Is a blanket additional insured endorsement acceptable for an electrical sub?
Yes, if it covers the right parties and both phases of the work. A blanket CG 20 38 extends ongoing operations status to parties named in the written construction agreement, but it does not cover completed operations. Pair it with a completed operations form (scheduled CG 20 37 or blanket CG 20 40) and confirm your subcontract was signed before work began.

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