CG 20 10 is the ISO endorsement that adds a person or organization you name in its schedule, typically a project owner or general contractor, as an additional insured on your general liability policy for liability arising out of your ongoing operations. It is the single most requested endorsement in construction contracting, and most contracts that require it pair it with CG 20 37 so the upstream party stays covered after the work is finished.
If a contract or certificate request names this form, the other party wants direct rights under your policy while your crews are still working. This page explains what the endorsement does, what it deliberately leaves out, and how the edition date printed after the form number changes the answer.
What does CG 20 10 do?
Your general liability policy protects the named insured, which is your business. A project owner or general contractor hiring you wants protection under that same policy, because if your work injures someone, the injured party usually sues everyone on the project.
CG 20 10 grants that protection by making the upstream party an additional insured for liability caused in whole or in part by your acts or omissions in the performance of your ongoing operations for them. The additional insured gets defense and indemnity from your insurer for those claims, which keeps the loss on the policy of the party that did the work.
The endorsement is written around a schedule. The classic version lists the additional insured by name and often the specific project location. Many insurers attach blanket wording instead, which extends the status automatically to any party you agree in a written contract to add. Blanket wording is convenient, but the written contract requirement is strict, so a handshake agreement or a contract signed after the loss leaves the upstream party with nothing.
What does ongoing operations mean?
Ongoing operations means your work in progress. While your crew is on the jobsite framing, wiring, or paving, CG 20 10 responds to claims arising from that activity. Once your work is complete and put to its intended use, claims arising from it fall into the products-completed operations hazard, and CG 20 10 explicitly does not cover the additional insured for that exposure.
A ladder dropped on a visitor during construction is an ongoing operations claim. A deck that collapses two years after you built it is a completed operations claim, and the additional insured needs CG 20 37 to be covered for it.
Why do the edition dates matter?
The two-digit pairs after the form number are the edition date, so CG 20 10 04 13 is the April 2013 edition. Owners and their attorneys care because the coverage changed materially over the years. Some contracts still demand the long-retired 1985 edition precisely because it was the broadest, and most insurers will not provide it:
| Edition | What changed | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| 11 85 | Covered the additional insured for both ongoing and completed operations with no separate form needed | Broadest, rarely available |
| 10 93 through 10 01 | Removed completed operations and progressively narrowed coverage toward the named insured's own work | Transitional |
| 07 04 | Required the injury to be caused in whole or in part by the named insured, ending coverage for the additional insured's sole negligence | Modern baseline |
| 04 13 | Capped coverage at what the written contract requires and at what state anti-indemnity law permits | Current standard with 12 19 |
If a contract demands CG 20 10 11 85 or "an equivalent," flag it before signing. Your insurer probably cannot issue that edition, and an equivalence argument after a loss is a bad place to be. The practical fix is to negotiate the requirement down to the current editions of the CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 pair, which together deliver what most owners actually want.
What should you check before agreeing to provide it?
Contract insurance requirements are commitments your policy either can or cannot keep, and the time to find out is before signature. Run through these checks with your broker:
- Match the form and edition to your policy: confirm your policy can issue the exact form number and edition the contract names, or that its blanket additional insured wording satisfies the requirement in writing.
- Confirm the written contract exists first: blanket endorsements require an executed written agreement before the work and before any loss. Get the contract signed before crews mobilize.
- Check for completed operations language: if the contract requires additional insured status for completed operations, CG 20 10 alone does not comply. You also need CG 20 37 or equivalent wording.
- Read the primary and noncontributory clause: most contracts also require your coverage to apply first and without contribution from the additional insured's own policy, which is a separate endorsement your broker must confirm.
Where can you see the actual form?
Menlo does not host ISO forms because they are copyrighted by Insurance Services Office, Inc. You can read the real text through your own policy, which attaches every endorsement issued on it, or by asking your broker for the specimen your carrier files. Regulator-approved filings are also publicly viewable through SERFF Filing Access, the state filing system, though the forms there remain copyrighted and are for reading, not copying.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CG 20 10 and CG 20 37?
CG 20 10 covers the additional insured for liability arising from your ongoing operations, meaning work in progress. CG 20 37 covers the same party for the products-completed operations hazard, meaning claims that arise after the work is finished. Construction contracts typically require both so coverage continues after project completion.
Does CG 20 10 cover the additional insured for its own negligence?
Not under any edition since 07 04. Coverage applies only when the injury or damage is caused in whole or in part by you or someone working on your behalf. The additional insured's sole negligence is excluded, and the 04 13 and later editions also cap coverage at what state law permits.
Is a certificate of insurance enough to prove CG 20 10 status?
No. A certificate is an information snapshot, it confers no coverage by itself. Additional insured status exists only if the endorsement is actually attached to the policy, so careful upstream parties request a copy of the endorsement or the policy's blanket wording along with the certificate.
What does the schedule on CG 20 10 require?
The schedule identifies who is covered and often the location of the covered operations. If the schedule says the information is shown in the declarations or requires a written contract, blanket wording applies and the executed contract itself becomes the trigger for coverage.
This guide is for educational purposes and summarizes standard ISO policy language in Menlo's own words. Form numbers and titles are cited for identification only, and Menlo Insurance Services is not affiliated with Insurance Services Office, Inc. Your policy's specific terms, conditions, and endorsements control. Talk to a licensed broker about your actual exposures.