Skip to content
Pikorua Security

Glazing & Curtain Wall subcontractors

Glazing & Curtain Wall subcontractor COI requirements

Curtain wall contractors design, fabricate and install the building envelope, often under delegated design with their own engineer stamping the system. That mix puts them between the CGL and professional liability, and their claims are slow water intrusion losses that surface years later. Pikorua Security's 2026 benchmark puts glazing and curtain wall at 74% deficient on first review.

Audit 5 COIs freeExplore demo

Glazing & Curtain Wall audit

Clearspan Glass & Curtain Wall Inc.

Union Yards Mixed-Use Tower

Deficient
CGL policy
GL 2754-8810-55
AM Best
A IX
Carrier
Northshore Fire & Marine Insurance Co.
  • DeficientCG 22 79

    Professional exclusion on a delegated design scope; no professional policy evidenced.

  • DeficientManuscript

    Water intrusion exclusion (WI 330) on the CGL.

  • ReviewCG 20 32

    Architect and engineer of record not covered as additional insureds.

15 rules checked, 2 deficient. Scanned Oct 10, 2026, 12:48 PM ET. Notice sent to sub and broker.
of curtain wall subcontractor COI packets are deficient on first review
74%
of curtain wall subcontractor COI packets are deficient on first review
Pikorua Security 2026 Benchmark
trade rank by defect rate, 3 points above the all-trade average
5 of 14
trade rank by defect rate, 3 points above 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 curtain wall insurance requirements

The limits Pikorua Security's curtain wall rule template starts from. Your subcontract exhibit controls; set it once per project and every curtain wall certificate is checked against it.
Rules in template
15
Hazard tier
High
Typical insurance requirements for curtain wall subcontractors
CoverageTypical limitWhat to check
Commercial general liability (CG 00 01, occurrence)$2,000,000 each occurrence / $4,000,000 general aggregateEnvelope failures affect the whole building, so curtain wall exhibits sit in the higher CGL tier.
Products-completed operations aggregate$4,000,000Water intrusion, seal failure and glass breakage claims surface years after installation.
Business auto liability$1,000,000 combined single limitGlass delivery trucks with A-frame racks; hired and non-owned included.
Umbrella / excess liability$10,000,000 each occurrence and aggregateFalling glass over sidewalks and panel drops during hoisting are severe third-party exposures.
Workers compensation / employer's liabilityStatutory / $1,000,000 each accident, $1,000,000 disease each employee, $1,000,000 disease policy limitGlaziers work from swing stages and mast climbers; confirm WC covers the installation crews, not just the shop.
Contractors professional liability$2,000,000 per claimRequired under delegated design of the curtain wall system (specification section 08 44 13) or any stamped engineering by the sub's engineer.
Installation floaterValue of unitized panels and glass in transit, storage and installationUnitized panels are high-value and fragile; storage yards and hoisting are where they are damaged.

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 curtain wall sub's schedule of forms against it.

Exclusion watchlist

Exclusions that void curtain wall 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

    Delegated curtain wall design is a professional service. CG 22 79 keeps a carve-back for construction means and methods, but a failure traced to the sub's engineered system design can be argued out of the CGL. Pair it with a professional policy or treat it as a deficiency.

    Read the CG 22 79 guide
  • Red flag

    Water intrusion or moisture exclusion

    Carrier manuscript forms that exclude damage caused by water penetration through the building envelope. For a curtain wall contractor, that is the primary claim type.

  • Red flag

    CG 21 67 Fungi or Bacteria Exclusion

    Water intrusion becomes mold. Even if water damage is covered, CG 21 67 can exclude the mold remediation and bodily injury claims that follow.

  • Red flag

    CG 21 86 Exclusion, Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems

    Glazing subs that also install cladding, insulated metal panels or interface with EIFS assemblies can trigger this exclusion. Check whether the scope includes any cladding work.

  • Red flag

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

    Curtain wall firms subcontract fabrication, glass supply, sealants and testing. CG 22 94 removes coverage for damage to the system caused by those sub-tiers.

    Read the CG 22 94 guide

Delegated design puts the envelope on two policies

On most commercial projects the architect specifies performance criteria and delegates the engineering of the curtain wall system to the glazing contractor, whose engineer stamps the anchors, mullion sizing and thermal performance. That is a professional service. If the system leaks or a panel fails, the claim can be framed as design (professional liability) or as installation (CGL), and two carriers will each point at the other.

Close the gap in the exhibit: require a contractors professional liability policy sized to the system value, collect the engineer's professional certificate if the engineer is an outside firm, and require CG 20 32 so the architect and engineer of record are covered when they are not engaged by the glazing sub. Pikorua Security tracks the engineer as a linked vendor so both renewals run on the same cadence.

Water intrusion is a completed operations claim

Envelope leaks are slow. A failed perimeter seal or a stack joint that does not drain shows up as stained ceilings, wet insulation and mold months or years after the building opens. By then the glazing sub is long gone, and the only protection is completed operations additional insured status on a policy in force when the damage happens.

  • Require CG 20 37 at the same edition as CG 20 10 and specify the completed operations period in the subcontract.
  • Read the schedule of forms for water intrusion, moisture and fungi or bacteria exclusions.
  • Ask whether field water testing results are tied to acceptance, which affects when completed operations begins.

Unitized panels, hoisting and the floater

A unitized curtain wall arrives as large, finished panels that are stored, staged and lifted into place with a crane or monorail. Damage during storage or hoisting is a property loss to the panels themselves, which the CGL does not cover. An installation floater covering transit, storage and installation, with a limit matching the panel value on site at any one time, is the right evidence. Pikorua Security compares the floater limit against the staged value you set in the rule template.

How to verify a curtain wall 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 curtain wall 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 curtain wall exhibit

    Confirm commercial general liability of $2,000,000 each occurrence / $4,000,000 general aggregate, an umbrella of $10,000,000 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 32 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 curtain wall exclusions

    Look for CG 22 79 Exclusion, Contractors, Professional Liability, water intrusion or moisture exclusion, CG 21 67 Fungi or Bacteria Exclusion, CG 21 86 Exclusion, Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems 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 curtain wall 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 curtain wall 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 curtain wall COI compliant?

Toggle what Clearspan Glass & Curtain Wall Inc.'s packet shows. The verdict updates the way Pikorua Security's curtain wall template scores it.

What the packet from Clearspan Glass & Curtain Wall Inc. shows

  • Matching editions

  • Sized to system value

  • Carrier manuscript form. Red flag if present.

  • Transit, storage, hoisting

  • Architect and engineer of record

  • Follows form

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

Deficient: 3 findings

  • Professional policy for delegated design

    System design failures fall outside the CGL.

  • Water intrusion exclusion on the CGL

    Envelope leak claims are excluded.

  • CG 20 32 for the design team

    Design professionals not covered as additional insureds.

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

Glazing & Curtain Wall COI questions

Does a curtain wall contractor need professional liability insurance?
When the subcontract delegates design of the curtain wall system, yes. The contractor's engineer is performing a professional service, and contractor CGL policies commonly exclude professional services through CG 22 79. A contractors professional liability policy is what responds to a claim that the system design caused the loss.
Why are glazing COIs deficient so often?
Glazing and curtain wall packets combine three hard areas: professional coverage for delegated design, water intrusion and fungi exclusions on the CGL, and installation floaters for high-value panels. Most reviews check only the ACORD 25 limits. Pikorua Security's 2026 benchmark puts this trade at 74% deficient on first review.
Which endorsements should a GC require from a glazing sub?
At minimum CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 at matching editions, CG 20 01 primary and noncontributory, CG 24 04 and WC 00 03 13 waivers of subrogation, CA 20 48 on auto and CG 25 03 per-project aggregate. Add CG 20 32 to cover the architect and engineer of record.

14-day free production trial

Check every curtain wall sub's endorsements before they mobilize.

Upload your current curtain wall certificates. Pikorua Security reads the endorsement pages, applies the curtain wall template and shows every hidden gap in 10 minutes.

Start free trialExplore demo