Ways to track certificates of insurance
Subcontractors and general contractors track certificates of insurance in five common ways: a spreadsheet, the GC's own vendor portal, the insurance agent, an enterprise compliance service, or COI software built for small trade companies such as TradeOwed. TradeOwed is for subs sending documents to several GCs and for GCs collecting them from their subs. It costs $29 a month or $290 a year, with a 14-day free trial and no card needed.
Updated . Costs are described by category; check current prices with each provider.
| Approach | Who it fits | Rough cost | Effort | Gaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet and an email folder | A sub with two or three GCs, or a GC with a handful of subs, and one organized person who owns it. | Free (software you already have). | High and ongoing: someone checks dates, chases renewals and re-sends every new certificate by hand. | Nothing reminds you unless you build it. Files end up spread across inboxes, and it lives in one person's head. |
| The GC's own vendor portal | Subs working for a GC that requires its portal. | Usually free to the sub; some portals charge the sub a yearly fee. | One login per GC. Every renewal is uploaded again to every portal. | Covers that one GC only. Your other GCs still need the documents some other way. |
| Asking your insurance agent | Every sub: the agent issues the certificate and any additional-insured endorsements. | Usually included with your policy. | Low to request; you wait on the agent's turnaround each time a GC asks. | The agent issues certificates on request. It doesn't track which GCs have the current one, remind you before renewal, or collect certificates from your own subs. |
| Enterprise COI compliance services | Large GCs, developers and property managers with hundreds of vendors and a compliance team. | Annual contracts, often priced per vendor; well above small-business software. Some charge subs to register. | Low for the GC after setup; subs fill in forms and upload to the service. | Built for compliance departments. More than most trade companies need, and nothing for a sub sending its own paperwork. |
| TradeOwed | Subs sending COIs, licenses and W-9s to several GCs, and small to mid-sized GCs collecting them from their subs. | $29 a month or $290 a year, one plan, every feature. | Upload once; AI reads the dates. Reminders, renewal resends and sub reminders run on their own. | Not an insurance agent, no QuickBooks or Procore integration, no text-message reminders, US businesses only. |
Every feature is listed on the features page, and every number and limit on TradeOwed at a glance. The guides explain COIs, sending them to a GC and moving off a spreadsheet.
Comparison questions
Is a spreadsheet good enough for tracking COIs?
For a few GCs or a few subs, yes, if one person checks it every week. It stops working when renewals pile up: a spreadsheet doesn't remind you, doesn't send the new certificate to every GC that had the old one, and doesn't chase subs for theirs.
My GC already has a vendor portal. Do I still need anything else?
For that GC, use their portal. If you work for several GCs, each portal covers only its own GC, so you still need one place that holds your current documents and sends them to everyone else.
Can my insurance agent track my certificates for me?
Your agent issues certificates and endorsements, and you still need them for that. Agents generally don't track which GCs have your current certificate or remind you before it lapses, and they don't collect certificates from your subs.
When is an enterprise compliance service a better fit than TradeOwed?
When you manage hundreds of vendors and want a service with staff who review coverage against contract requirements for you. For a trade company or a GC with a manageable sub list, that is usually more process and cost than the job needs.
What doesn't TradeOwed do?
Not an insurance agent or broker: TradeOwed doesn't sell insurance, issue certificates or give coverage advice. Your agent and carrier decide coverage. No QuickBooks, Procore or other accounting/project-management integration. No text-message (SMS) reminders: reminders and links go by email. Built for US businesses: prices in US dollars, US documents such as the W-9.
How much does TradeOwed cost?
It costs $29 a month or $290 a year, with a 14-day free trial and no card needed. Every feature is included.