A Certificate of Insurance (COI) for a NYC commercial fit-out has to meet the specific requirements laid out in the landlord’s tenant alteration agreement and building rules — and those requirements are usually stricter than a contractor’s standard policy. Most NYC Class A buildings require general liability minimums of $5M-$10M, separate workers’ compensation, automobile liability, umbrella/excess coverage, and pollution liability for certain scopes.
Beyond the dollar minimums, the COI typically has to name specific parties as additional insureds — the landlord, the property manager, the building ownership entity, and sometimes the building’s lender. Waiver of subrogation, primary and non-contributory language, and 30-day cancellation notice are also commonly required. A COI missing any of these can delay project mobilization until corrected.
For commercial tenants, the practical impact is that contractors who aren’t experienced in NYC commercial work often submit COIs that get rejected by property management — which delays start dates. Darby maintains insurance coverage that meets the requirements of NYC Class A buildings and produces COIs correctly on the first submission.
