Short answer
Ask every cleaning company for a certificate of insurance before it starts. Check that the named insured matches the company, the policies are current, and it shows general liability and workers' compensation, plus any other coverage your contract or landlord requires. In Texas a certificate isn't the policy and can't add coverage, so if you need additional insured status, ask for the endorsement itself, and check workers' comp through the state's TXCOMP lookup.
Plain words on how certificates work in Texas. It isn't insurance or legal advice. Your agent or attorney can tell you what your contract should require.
The word "insured" on a website tells you almost nothing. Insured for what, with whom, until when? The certificate of insurance, usually called a COI, answers those questions in one page. Here's how to ask for one and what to check when it arrives.
What a certificate of insurance is
A COI is a summary of a company's insurance policies. It lists the insurer, the policy numbers, the dates and the limits. TDI says certificates are used to show proof that a business has coverage, and TDI approves the certificate forms insurers and agents use in Texas, including ACORD forms.
What a certificate is not matters just as much. Texas Insurance Code 1811.152 says a certificate of insurance is not a policy and does not amend, extend or alter the coverage of the policy it refers to.
What to check on the certificate
| Field | What to check |
|---|---|
| Insured | The company name matches the company you're hiring, including the legal name on your contract |
| Producer | The agent or agency that issued it, with contact info you can call |
| Insurers | The insurance companies for each policy |
| Policy dates | Current today, and not expiring before your contract starts |
| General liability | Present, with the limits your contract or landlord asks for |
| Workers' compensation | Present, or a clear answer on why not |
| Auto | If the crew drives company vehicles to your site and your contract requires it |
| Umbrella | If your contract requires higher limits |
| Additional insured | Marked only if it's actually on the policy, with the endorsement to prove it |
| Certificate holder | Your company's name and address |
General liability
This is the policy most contracts and landlords ask for first. Check the limits against what your lease or management agreement requires, and check the dates. If your building's management company has its own insurance requirements for vendors, send those to the cleaning company before it starts.
Workers' compensation in Texas
Texas is different here. TDI says private employers can choose whether to carry workers' compensation, and employers who don't are called non-subscribers. So a cleaning company in Texas may not have it.
Workers' comp covers the company's own workers when they're hurt on the job, under the Texas system. If a cleaner slips in your restroom, you want to know that coverage exists. You can check any employer's coverage through the TXCOMP lookup linked from TDI's website. Do that, even if the certificate shows it.
Additional insured and waiver of subrogation
These two terms show up in a lot of commercial contracts. In plain terms:
- Additional insured means your company is added as an insured under the cleaning company's policy, usually for claims arising from their work.
- Waiver of subrogation means the cleaning company's insurer agrees not to go after you to recover what it paid.
Both have to be on the policy, usually through an endorsement. A box checked on a certificate doesn't create them. TDI's FAQ says a certificate holder can't use the certificate holder box to get rights beyond what the policy provides. If your contract needs either one, ask for a copy of the endorsement, and give the cleaning company the exact wording early so it can check with its insurer.
Cancellation notice
Many people assume they'll be told if a vendor's insurance lapses. TDI's FAQ says you have a legal right to notice of cancellation, nonrenewal or a material change only if you're named in the policy or an endorsement. So ask for an updated certificate every time policies renew, and put the expiration dates on your calendar.
Insurance and bonds aren't the same thing
Some buyers also ask about a janitorial bond, sometimes called a theft or fidelity bond. A bond is a separate product from liability insurance and workers' comp. If your business wants one, ask for it by name and ask for proof. Don't assume "insured" covers it.
How to verify what you're told
- Call the producer listed on the certificate and confirm the policies are active.
- Check workers' comp on TXCOMP.
- Ask for endorsements if your contract requires additional insured or a waiver of subrogation.
- Ask for a policy copy if you need detail. TDI's FAQ notes that Chapter 1811 doesn't stop an agent or insurer from giving you a copy of the policy or endorsements.
Red flags
- The insured name doesn't match the company on your contract.
- Dates have passed, or expire next week with no renewal.
- No workers' comp and no clear answer why.
- A certificate that looks edited, or a company that won't let you call its agent.
- "We're insured" with no certificate at all.
Keep it current
Certificates expire when policies do. Set a reminder a few weeks before each policy date on file, and ask for the new certificate then. Keep the old ones too, in case you ever need to show coverage for a past date.
What V&V carries
V&V Janitorial & Maid Services carries general liability and workers' compensation. We can send a certificate of insurance with your company, your landlord or your general contractor as certificate holder. If your contract asks for additional insured status, a waiver of subrogation or specific limits, send us the language before we start and we'll check it with our insurer. Request a walkthrough or call 469-733-0532.
Common questions
What is a COI?
A certificate of insurance is a short document, often on an ACORD form, that summarizes a company's insurance policies: the insurer, policy numbers, dates and limits. It's proof that coverage exists. It isn't the policy itself.
Does being listed as certificate holder give me coverage?
No. TDI says a certificate holder can't use that box to get rights beyond what the policy provides. If you need coverage under the cleaning company's policy, you need additional insured status added by the policy itself.
Does Texas require cleaning companies to have workers' comp?
Not most private employers. TDI says private employers in Texas can choose whether to carry workers' compensation. Ask for it on the certificate and check it on TXCOMP.
Will I be told if the cleaning company's insurance gets canceled?
Only if the policy or an endorsement gives you that right. TDI's FAQ says a person has a legal right to notice of cancellation only if named in the policy or an endorsement. Otherwise, ask for a fresh certificate each year and when policies renew.
Can V&V send us a certificate of insurance?
Yes. We carry general liability and workers' compensation and can send a certificate with your company as certificate holder. If your contract asks for more, send us the language so we can check it with our insurer.
Need a cleaning crew for your building?
V&V cleans offices, clinics, schools and churches across Dallas-Fort Worth.
Sources
- Texas Department of Insurance: Certificates of insurance FAQ (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- Texas Department of Insurance: Property and casualty certificates of insurance (approved forms) (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- Texas Insurance Code Sec. 1811.152, Certificate is not a policy (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- Texas Department of Insurance: Workers' compensation insurance coverage (employers, with TXCOMP verification link) (accessed Oct 8, 2026)
- Texas Department of Insurance: Workers' compensation employer FAQ (accessed Oct 8, 2026)