Certificate of Insurance (COI)

A Certificate of Insurance is the single most requested document in the tree service industry. Property managers, general contractors, HOAs, and municipal agencies will ask for a COI before you set foot on a job site. The certificate lists your policy numbers, coverage types, limits, and the name of the insured. It also shows the certificate holder — the party requesting proof — and whether they have been granted additional insured status.

For tree service companies, COI turnaround time matters. Storm season can generate dozens of emergency calls in a single day, and each property owner or utility company may require a certificate before work begins. Working with an agent who can issue same-day COIs — or providing you with a self-service portal — eliminates costly delays.

Keep in mind that a COI is a snapshot in time. If your policy lapses or is cancelled, the certificate becomes invalid, and most carriers will send a cancellation notice to the certificate holder. Maintaining continuous coverage is critical because a gap can cost you contracts that took months to win.

Best practice: keep a master list of every entity that has received a COI from your company, along with the endorsements they required. When renewal time comes, your agent can batch-issue updated certificates so you are never scrambling at the last minute.