How to Verify a Contractor's Insurance

Short Answer: In Washington, start with L&I Verify, which shows the insurer and policy dates for registered contractors. Then get a certificate of insurance sent by the agent and call the insurer to confirm the policy is active.

Quick Facts

“Fully insured” is easy to say. Verifying it takes a few minutes and tells you whether a real policy stands behind your project. Here is how to do it properly.

Why It Matters

Liability insurance pays for accidental damage or injury caused by the contractor’s work: a fire, a flood, a dropped beam. If the policy has lapsed, those costs may fall on you or your homeowner’s insurer. In Washington, liability insurance is a condition of registration, and a lapse automatically suspends the registration.

Step 1: Check L&I Verify

For Washington contractors, start with the state record. L&I Verify shows:

• the insurance company,
• the policy number,
• the effective and expiration dates.

Note whether the dates cover your project. If the policy expires mid-project, ask how and when it will be renewed. Our Washington Contractor License Lookup shows the same fields from the state file.

Step 2: Request a Certificate of Insurance

Ask the contractor for a certificate of insurance (COI), ideally sent directly to you by the contractor’s insurance agent. A COI lists:

• the insured business name,
• the insurer and policy numbers,
• types of coverage (general liability, auto, umbrella, workers’ comp where applicable),
• limits,
• policy dates,
• the agent’s contact details.

Watch out: A COI emailed by the contractor can be outdated or altered. Getting it directly from the agent, or confirming it with the agent, removes that risk.

Step 3: Check the Details

• Name: matches the registered business on your contract.
• Dates: cover the whole project.
• Limits: at least the Washington minimums: $50,000 property damage and $100,000 / $200,000 bodily injury, or a $250,000 combined single limit policy, which L&I accepts. Higher limits are common and sensible for larger projects.
• Coverage type: general liability that covers the kind of work being done.

Step 4: Call the Insurer or Agent

Phone the agent or insurer listed. Ask:

• Is the policy active today?
• Do the dates and limits match the certificate?
• Does it cover this type of work?
• Are there exclusions I should know about?

Insurers will usually confirm whether a policy is in force.

Step 5: Ask About Additional Insured Status

For larger projects, ask whether you can be named as an additional insured or certificate holder. A certificate holder may receive notice if the policy is cancelled, depending on the policy.

Step 6: Check Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ comp is separate from liability insurance. In Washington, most employers must have an L&I workers’ comp account. L&I Verify shows the account status. If the contractor has employees and no active account, ask why.

Step 7: Check Subcontractors

Ask for COIs from major subcontractors too. Each registered subcontractor has its own record on L&I Verify.

Step 8: Re-Check During the Project

Policies can be cancelled for non-payment. Re-check before large payments, especially on long projects.

What Liability Insurance Does Not Cover

Liability policies generally do not cover the cost of redoing the contractor’s own faulty work. That is usually a contract and bond issue. The distinction is explained in Contractor Bond vs Insurance, and the state rules are in Washington Contractor Insurance Requirements.

If the Insurance Is Not Valid

• Do not start, or pause, the project.
• Ask the contractor to reinstate coverage and provide a new certificate.
• Re-check the registration status, since a lapse suspends it.
• If the contractor continues to work without coverage, consider ending the contract and reporting it.

A Quick Verification Checklist

• Insurer and dates on L&I Verify
• COI received from the agent
• Name, dates and limits match
• Insurer confirmed by phone
• Workers’ comp account checked
• Subcontractor COIs collected
• Re-checked before final payment

Insurance Outside Washington

If you are hiring in another state, the steps are the same, but minimum limits and whether the state record shows insurance vary. See How to Check a Contractor License in Any State.

A Worked Example: Spotting a Problem Certificate

A contractor emails you a certificate of insurance. On first glance it looks fine. Reading closely:

• The named insured is the owner’s previous business name, not the LLC on your contract.
• The policy period ends next month, halfway through your project.
• The agent’s phone number goes to a general switchboard rather than an agency.

None of these proves anything is wrong, but together they justify a call. You ring the insurer’s main line, give the policy number and ask whether it is active and who the named insured is. The insurer confirms the policy belongs to the old business and was cancelled. You ask the contractor for a current certificate sent directly from their agent before work begins.

This kind of check takes a few minutes and is far easier than discovering the gap after an accident.

Questions to Ask the Contractor About Insurance

• Who is your insurance agent, and can they send me a certificate directly?
• What are your general liability limits per occurrence and in aggregate?
• Do you carry an umbrella or excess policy?
• Do your subcontractors carry their own insurance?
• Do you have employees, and is your workers’ comp account active?
• Will your policy renew during my project?

Your Own Homeowner’s Policy

It is worth calling your own insurer before a major project. Ask whether the work affects your coverage, whether you need to tell them about it and how a claim would interact with the contractor’s policy. Some projects, such as major remodels, may call for a temporary change in coverage while the house is under construction.

Keep the Evidence

Save the certificate, a screenshot of the state record with the date, and a note of your call to the insurer, including the name of the person you spoke to.

Bottom Line

Do not take “insured” on trust. Check the state record, get the certificate from the agent, confirm with the insurer and check workers’ comp. It takes about ten minutes and protects you from one of the most expensive surprises in home improvement.