Certificate of Insurance for Painters

Not All Certificates Are Created Equal

A certificate of insurance is a one-page summary of your active coverage — carrier, limits, policy dates. But the version that satisfies a homeowner asking "are you insured?" is often not the same document a property management company running a formal vendor program actually needs, especially for larger exterior spray jobs where overspray exposure to neighboring units is a real concern for them.

What HOAs and Property Managers Specifically Ask For

Beyond the baseline certificate, larger residential and commercial property clients running exterior repaint contracts typically want:

• Additional insured — the exact HOA or management entity named specifically, not a generic description
• Waiver of subrogation — your carrier agreeing not to pursue them even if they share some fault
• Higher limits — sometimes $2M/$4M instead of $1M/$2M, given the overspray exposure across an entire building or complex

The Lead-Safe Certification Question

For jobs on pre-1978 properties, some property managers and even individual homeowners are starting to ask for proof of EPA lead-safe certification alongside your standard COI — a genuinely painter-specific document request that doesn't come up in most other trades. Having both ready before you bid, rather than scrambling once asked, keeps you from losing a job you were otherwise qualified for. Our requirements by state page covers this rule in full.

What to Do Before You Bid

If you're pursuing a larger HOA or property management contract, ask for their specific insurance and certification requirements before you bid, not after you've won the job. It's a completely normal question, and it saves everyone a scramble later — especially since losing a bid over paperwork is a far more common problem than most painters expect.

Requesting a New or Updated Certificate

Already covered with us? A new certificate for a specific HOA or property manager, or an update adding them as additional insured, is typically a same-day turnaround. New to Paintsurance? See what coverage typically costs, get a quote first, and your first certificate is ready the moment you bind.