Ask for a current certificate of insurance, or COI, before the first visit. Check the named business, insurer, policy types, limits and dates, then ask the issuing insurance agency to clarify anything that does not match the service or your building’s requirements. A website badge is not enough to make that comparison.
The aim is to understand the documents and resolve gaps before work begins. A delayed response alone does not prove that a company is uninsured, and a certificate alone does not promise that every possible loss will be covered.
That’s what to ask before anyone gets a key. Our answers are published: $2M general liability, background-checked teams, and a CleanCheck photo report on eligible completed visits. Message us and we’ll send a price for your place alongside them.
What to request
Send the company your legal name or the building entity that needs the document, property address, planned service and any written vendor requirements. Ask which policies apply to the work and who can answer coverage questions. Keep the document with the agreed scope and contact details.
JAS publishes $2,000,000 general liability coverage and a background-check policy, with a COI available on request. Those are specific published claims to verify against the current documents; they do not establish a bond, every coverage type or the outcome of a future claim. Read JAS’s published insurance information.
A checklist for reading the certificate
- Named insured: match the business you are hiring. If the trading name differs, ask the company and agency to explain the relationship.
- Policy dates: check the planned service date falls within the period shown. For recurring work, ask for updated evidence when a policy renews.
- Coverage types and limits: identify what each listed policy covers; do not treat general liability, workers’ compensation and a bond as interchangeable.
- Unanswered requirements: ask the agency about missing entries, exclusions and any building-required endorsements before assuming a requirement is met.
Certificate holder is not the same as additional insured
A COI summarizes insurance information; it does not itself change the policy. Being named as certificate holder does not by itself make you an additional insured. If your building requires that status, ask the insurer or agent which policy provision or endorsement supports it. The Connecticut Insurance Department explains this distinction in its certificate guidance. Read the regulator’s certificate guidance.
Verify the contact and keep the scope specific
Use the agency’s independently verified contact information to ask about the certificate and current coverage. Describe the actual work rather than just “cleaning”: a routine home visit, post-construction work and specialist restoration are different requests. Let the insurer or agent explain the relevant terms instead of guessing from a marketing phrase.
For example, a property manager may request a certificate naming the building and a specific endorsement. That is a document checklist to review before the visit, not a reason to assume the standard certificate automatically satisfies the building. This is a hypothetical paperwork example, not a claim about a JAS policy endorsement.
Insurance is one part of choosing a provider. Also compare the written scope, exclusions and agreed process for reporting a problem. Review JAS’s transparency information.
Questions before requesting a quote
Does a certificate guarantee a claim will be paid?
No. A certificate is evidence of the listed insurance information. Coverage depends on the policy, applicable endorsements and the facts of the claim; ask the insurer or agent about specific concerns.
Should I infer bonding or workers’ compensation from a liability statement?
No. Ask which documents and coverage types apply. A general-liability statement does not establish a bond or workers’ compensation coverage.