Completed operations coverage responds to bodily injury and property damage arising out of work after that work has been completed and put to its intended use. It is distinct from ongoing operations, which covers liability while the work is being performed. The two are separated in the policy and in most additional insured endorsements.
Updated September 2026.
Why brokers care
Contracts frequently require additional insured status for completed operations, and the endorsement arranged frequently covers ongoing operations only. Because the certificate says additional insured, the requirement looks satisfied. The difference appears years later, when a defect in finished work produces a claim and the endorsement does not reach it. This is one of the highest-consequence versions of the endorsement problem.
What to check
- Whether the contract requires completed operations specifically
- Which additional insured form was used and what it covers
- How long completed operations status must be maintained after the work ends
- Whether the policy carries a products and completed operations aggregate
- Any exclusion that removes completed operations for this class of work
Common mistake
Arranging CG 20 10 where the contract required completed operations. The certificate says additional insured either way, and the gap only appears years later when finished work produces a claim.
The distinction is worked through in the certificate review checklist.