COI tracking spreadsheet vs. software: when it’s time to switch

A spreadsheet is enough while one person tracks a handful of certificates and checks it every week. It stops working when nobody checks it, when the list grows, or when certificates have to go out to, or come in from, many companies at once.

When a spreadsheet works

• You have a few policies and work for a few GCs.
• One person owns the list and looks at it on a schedule.
• Renewals are rare enough to handle by hand.

If that’s you, start with our free COI tracker template. It calculates days left and colors each row current, expiring or expired.

Signs you’ve outgrown it

• A GC told you your certificate expired before you noticed.
• A payment was held over paperwork.
• You can’t say, without digging, which GCs have your current certificate.
• Renewal season means a day of emails and attachments.
• More than one person updates the file, and versions drift.
• You collect certificates from your own subs and spend time chasing them.

What COI tracking software should do

• Read dates and limits from the certificate so nobody retypes them.
• Remind the right people before anything expires, without anyone opening a file.
• Keep a record of which company has which certificate.
• Send renewals to everyone who needs them in one step.
• Let subs upload their certificates without creating an account, if you collect them.
• Keep documents private and let you export everything.
• Cost what a small trade company can justify.

That’s the list TradeOwed was built around. It’s $29 a month with a 14-day free trial and no card, so you can run it alongside your spreadsheet before you switch.

This guide is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Your contracts and your agent decide what coverage you need.