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Renewal reminders

COI Renewal Reminders: The 90/60/30-Day Workflow for Construction Teams

The 90/60/30-day reminder cadence works. Here are the actual email templates to use at each stage, and what to do when a sub does not respond before their certificate runs out.

Why reminders are the only part of COI tracking that actually prevents problems

Getting a certificate on file is the easy part. Most subs will send one if you ask at job startup. The hard part is knowing — without digging through email — that a certificate is about to expire, getting the updated one before it lapses, and doing that for every active sub, every renewal cycle, without dropping any of them.

Most GC offices have experienced the alternative. You find out a certificate expired when the sub tries to start and your project manager asks whether he is covered. Or the owner asks for current proof during a site visit and the certificate in your folder is eight months old. Or your insurance broker flags an expired sub during a renewal audit.

A fixed reminder cadence — 90 days, 60 days, 30 days — does not eliminate that problem by itself. But it creates three chances to catch a lapse before it becomes a job-site issue. Here is what to send at each stage.

The 90-day reminder

At 90 days out, the goal is early awareness. Most subs have not renewed yet, and you are not asking them to. You are confirming the current certificate is on your radar and asking them to flag you when the renewal is ready.

This is also your chance to catch contact changes before they become a problem. If the person who sent the last certificate has left the company, you want to know that with 90 days to spare, not 10.

Subject: Certificate of insurance — renewal coming up for [Sub Company Name]

Hi [Contact Name],

We have your certificate of insurance on file with an expiration date of [MM/DD/YYYY]. Just a heads-up that we will need an updated certificate before that date to keep your coverage current in our records.

No action needed right now — when your policy renews, please send us the updated ACORD 25 at your earliest convenience. If the renewal contact at your insurance agency has changed, feel free to cc them on your reply.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company]

What to do with the response: If they reply with a contact change, update your tracker immediately. If they confirm a renewal date, note it. If they do not respond, that is fine at 90 days — move to the 60-day reminder on schedule. Do not let the lack of a response at 90 days create a false sense that the situation is resolved.

The 60-day reminder

At 60 days, the request becomes operational. You are asking for the certificate, not just flagging the upcoming date. If they have already renewed, you want the new certificate now. If they have not, you want a timeline.

This message has slightly more urgency, but it should still be matter-of-fact. You are not threatening work stoppage yet — you are running a reliable process.

Subject: Updated COI needed — [Sub Company Name] certificate expires [MM/DD/YYYY]

Hi [Contact Name],

Following up on your certificate of insurance, which expires on [MM/DD/YYYY]. If you have renewed or your agent has issued an updated certificate, please forward it to us so we can update our records.

If your renewal is not complete yet, can you let us know when to expect it? We need a current certificate on file for any active or upcoming work.

Please send your updated ACORD 25 to [your email] or reply to this message. If your agent sends certificates directly, they can reach us at the same address.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company]

What to do with the response: If you receive a certificate, review it before marking the sub current. Check the insured name, certificate holder, limits, and expiration dates. Do not mark it current and file it — review it first. If something is off, reply immediately with what needs to be corrected.

If they give you a renewal date, put that date in your notes and schedule a follow-up for two to three days after. Do not rely on them to remember to send it. If no response after a week, send a brief follow-up on the same thread before the 30-day mark.

The 30-day reminder

At 30 days, the tone changes. This is not a nudge — it is a clear statement that a lapsed certificate will affect the sub's ability to work on your jobs. The message should be direct, not alarming, but unambiguous.

Subject: Urgent: COI expires [MM/DD/YYYY] — updated certificate required to continue work

Hi [Contact Name],

Your certificate of insurance on file expires on [MM/DD/YYYY]. We have not yet received an updated certificate.

We require a current COI for all active subcontractors. If your policy has renewed, please send the updated ACORD 25 immediately. If your renewal is pending, please send us confirmation from your agent with the expected date.

Once your certificate lapses, we will not be able to schedule work until updated proof of insurance is received. If there are any issues with the renewal, please let us know so we can work through them before the expiration date.

Please reply to this message or send your certificate to [your email].

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company]

What to do with the response: If they send a certificate, review it the same day. If it has issues, reply the same day. If they send a renewal extension or binder from the agent, note it and ask for the full certificate when issued.

If there is still no response by day 20 (10 days before expiration), escalate internally. Flag the sub to the project manager or owner. At 30 days warning and no response, the project team needs to know before it becomes a Monday morning scramble.

What to do when the certificate lapses anyway

It will happen. A sub drops the ball, a renewal gets delayed, or your reminder goes to an old email address. When a certificate lapses:

1. Update the status in your tracker to "Expired" immediately
2. Notify the project manager for any active jobs where that sub is working or scheduled
3. Send a final request to the sub with a clear deadline and the work-stoppage implication
4. Do not allow new work to start until a current certificate is received and reviewed
5. Document every step in your tracker — dates, who contacted them, what was said

If the sub is in the middle of a job phase, the conversation gets harder. That is the cost of missing the earlier reminders, and it is why the 90-day window exists. The earlier you catch an expiration, the more time you have to resolve it before it becomes a job-site problem.

Keeping the reminder system running

The reminder workflow breaks when reminders are manual. Calendar events get buried. Conditional formatting on spreadsheets gets ignored when things are busy. The Monday morning check only works if someone remembers to do it.

Whether you use a spreadsheet with disciplined calendar follow-up or a dedicated tracker, the key is that the system creates the action — you do not have to remember to look. For many GC offices, that is the step that makes the difference between a renewal process that works and one that only works when nothing else is happening.

The 90-day reminder is for you. The 30-day reminder is for the sub. The work you do at 90 days is what prevents the panic at 10.

Keep reading

• How to track certificates of insurance
• Subcontractor COI tracking workflow