CG 22 94: Subcontractor Work Exclusion Explained

CG 22 94 is a commercial general liability endorsement that removes the subcontractor exception from the policy's damage to your work exclusion. The practical result is broader exclusion of completed-operations property damage to the named insured's work, even when a subcontractor performed the damaged work or caused the damage.

This is a significant issue for general contractors, but it is not an exclusion for every injury, every construction defect, or every item of property damaged at a job.

What does CG 22 94 change?

The base CGL damage to your work exclusion ordinarily contains an exception when a subcontractor performed the damaged work or the work from which the damage arose. CG 22 94 replaces that provision without the exception. A 2026 West Virginia appellate decision describes the endorsement as eliminating the subcontractor exception entirely.^[1]

For example, suppose a subcontractor's faulty installation causes damage to other parts of the contractor's completed project that are also within the policy definition of your work. CG 22 94 may place that property damage within the exclusion. Coverage still depends on the complaint, the cause and timing of damage, policy definitions, other exclusions, and governing law.

What does the endorsement not do?

It does not rewrite the entire CGL policy. The endorsement addresses property damage to your work and does not itself exclude bodily injury. It also does not automatically decide whether damaged property belongs within your work, whether operations were complete, or whether another exception or coverage part applies.

Courts analyze CG 22 94 alongside the occurrence requirement and the policy's other business-risk exclusions. The Tenth Circuit did that when reviewing a policy containing the 10 01 endorsement.^[2] A claim should be reported rather than self-denied from the form number alone.

Why do construction contracts prohibit it?

Owners often require completed operations coverage that remains responsive when subcontractor work damages the project. The City of Elgin lists CG 22 94 and CG 22 95 among prohibited limitations in its construction requirements.^[3] CG 22 95 is the designated-sites-or-operations version, while CG 22 94 removes the subcontractor exception without that scheduled limitation.

Review both the contractor's policy and risk transfer from subcontractors. Additional insured status, indemnity agreements, and certificates can affect recovery paths, but none changes the wording of CG 22 94 in the contractor's own policy.

This guide is for educational purposes and summarizes standard ISO policy language in original words. Menlo Insurance Services is not affiliated with Insurance Services Office, Inc. Your policy's terms and endorsements control. Talk to a licensed broker and legal counsel about actual construction risks and contracts.

The Bottom Line

CG 22 94 removes a valuable completed-operations exception for work done by subcontractors. Contractors should identify the endorsement before work begins, compare it with contract requirements, and review what property the policy treats as their work.