Guide
How to verify a cleaner’s insurance and workers’ comp
A PDF labeled “certificate of insurance” is a snapshot, not a policy. Hood cleaning puts people on your roof, in your duct, and around wet floors and chemicals. If general liability, workers’ compensation, or auto coverage is missing, expired, or named to the wrong entity, the restaurant inherits the claim. This page is a verification checklist for facilities managers — not legal or insurance advice. Cross-check the walk-away patterns in the red flags guide before you schedule night work.
Short answer
Require an ACORD 25 (or jurisdiction-required WC form) before ladders go up. Match the named insured to the contract and invoice. Confirm effective dates cover service day. Read three separate lines: commercial general liability, workers’ compensation / employers’ liability, and auto if they drive to your site. Certificate holder ≠ additional insured — if your lease or broker requires AI / waiver of subrogation, get the endorsement pages and call the producer with a number you looked up yourself. Where your state publishes a WC coverage lookup (Texas TXCOMP is one public example), use it as an independent check. Stop work if paper fails.
What each coverage line actually does
| Line on the COI | What it is for | Operator check |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial general liability (GL) | Bodily injury / property damage from operations and completed work (chemical damage, slip claims, some third-party injuries) | Occurrence vs claims-made marked; dates open on service day; limits meet what your landlord/broker requires (common client asks often cite $1M / $2M — confirm yours) |
| Workers’ compensation + employers’ liability | Injured employees of the cleaner; employers’ liability is the third-party piece on the same row | WC line not blank; statutory limits shown; any “proprietor excluded” note explained in writing before multi-person roof work |
| Automobile liability | Vehicles used to get equipment / crew to your site | Any auto / hired / non-owned as your contract requires if they park trucks on your lot or load grease waste off-site |
| Umbrella / excess | Sits above primary limits when a claim exceeds the primary layer | Only count it if the COI shows it and your broker says you need it |
ACORD 25 field checklist (before day one)
- Named insured matches the legal entity on the contract, W-9, and invoice — not a nickname or a different LLC
- Producer / agency listed with a phone you can call; look the agency up independently (state DOI / NAIC tools) before trusting the number on a forwarded PDF
- Policy numbers + effective / expiration dates still open on the scheduled service night
- GL row: occurrence preferred for this kind of work when available; products/completed-ops aggregate present if your broker requires it
- ADDL INSD / SUBR WVD checkboxes: treat as claims, not proof — request the endorsement form if your lease needs additional insured or waiver of subrogation
- Certificate holder box: your restaurant / property entity as the party receiving the snapshot — this alone does not create coverage rights
- Description of operations: job address / “kitchen exhaust cleaning” note is useful; it cannot invent endorsements the policy lacks
- Workers’ comp row: not blank; if sole-proprietor exclusion is marked, get written staffing detail (who climbs the roof) and your broker’s position before you allow work
Field note — certificate holder vs additional insured
- Secondary COI explainers and the ACORD 25 face language are consistent: the certificate is information only and does not amend the policy
- Being listed as certificate holder means you received a copy. Additional insured status exists only if an endorsement is attached to the policy (often discussed as CG 20 10 / CG 20 37 style forms in contractor risk guidance — your broker names what your lease requires)
- Ask for the endorsement pages, then call the producer: “Confirm policy [number] is in force for [date], and confirm whether [your entity] is additional insured with [form / blanket] as required by our contract.”
- Do not accept “we’ll email the COI after the job.” Paper first, ladders second — same rule as the red-flags field check
Verify beyond the PDF
- Call the producer or carrier using contact details you find yourself — not only the phone printed on a vendor-forwarded PDF.
- Use a state workers’ comp lookup when public. Example: Texas Department of Insurance publishes coverage verification paths (TXCOMP / subscriber lists) and a coverage.verification@tdi.texas.gov email for unknowns. Other states differ; start from your state WC agency via the U.S. DOL state officials directory.
- Know when ACORD is not enough. New York Workers’ Compensation Board materials state ACORD forms are not acceptable proof of NYS workers’ compensation coverage under WCL §57 for many government permit / license / contract contexts — carriers issue C-105.2 (or U-26.3 from the State Insurance Fund) instead. If your AHJ, landlord, or permit path sits in that world, ask for the form that jurisdiction recognizes.
- Re-pull before renewal windows. A COI is point-in-time. Put a calendar reminder 30 days before the expiration date on the certificate you filed.
Verification that holds up
- COI in the binder before the visit
- Named insured = invoice entity
- GL + WC present; auto if vehicles matter
- Producer call confirms in-force status
- AI / waiver endorsements collected when required
- State WC lookup used when available
Walk-away patterns
- “We’re insured” with no PDF
- Blank WC line on a multi-person roof crew
- Cash-only / no matching legal entity
- AI checkbox with no endorsement pages
- Expired dates or wrong LLC name
- Refusal to let you call the producer
Questions before rooftop / duct work
- Who is physically on the roof, and are they employees of the named insured?
- Is fall protection part of their method (hinge kit / hold-open / harness plan) — and does their WC story cover those people?
- Will any subcontractors enter the duct or fan? If yes, get their COI too, or a written statement that no subs are used.
- Does the GL include completed operations for work that could fail after they leave?
- Where is grease waste going, and is auto liability on the truck that hauls it?
Who it’s for / not for
- For: GMs and facilities leads who schedule hood cleaners; multi-unit ops standardizing vendor intake; anyone who inherited a “cheap” contractor with thin paperwork
- Not for: legal advice, setting your required limits (ask your broker / landlord), accusing a named vendor, or treating a COI as a substitute for a full-system clean and written report
Sources
- LegalClarity — how to get a COI and verify it (secondary; ACORD 25 layout; certificate holder ≠ AI; endorsement vs checkbox; call the producer)
- Texas Department of Insurance — workers’ compensation coverage verification (official; TXCOMP / subscriber / non-subscriber paths; coverage.verification@tdi.texas.gov)
- Texas DWC — TXCOMP claims and coverage systems (official; Locate Covered Employer steps)
- NYS Workers’ Compensation Board — permits, licenses, contracts (official; ACORD forms not acceptable under WCL §57; C-105.2 / U-26.3 path)
- NYS WCB — requirements PDF for government permits / licenses / contracts (official; note that ACORD is not acceptable WC proof)
- U.S. Department of Labor — state workers’ compensation officials directory (official; find your state WC agency)
- NY DFS — ACORD 25 (2025/12) approved certificate form (official form reference; COI is subject to policy terms)
- DocuTrax — workers’ comp certificates: what to verify (secondary; ACORD 25 WC row; state-specific proof; public lookup principle)
Next step
Pull the COI for whoever is on the calendar next. Match named insured to the invoice. Call the producer with a number you looked up. If WC is blank, AI is required but unsigned, or dates expire before the visit — reschedule until paper clears. File the verified packet in the documentation binder.