A certificate of insurance or declarations page from an insurance company is a one-page document that provides:

• The insured's name (who the insurance company is insuring),

• Describes the amount of insurance it is providing,

• Generally what is covered by the policy, and

• The names of any additionally insured parties.

However, the declarations page does not list any exclusions. For example, if work on common interest developments is excluded, that would not appear on this one-page summary of insurance.

CAUTION: When you request proof of insurance from a vendor, make sure the information is sent directly from the insurance carrier. If it comes from the vendor and it is faxed only, vendors have been known to tamper with the declarations page by whiting out expiration dates and/or adding the association as "additionally insured" when in fact the coverage has already expired or the vendor is the only one actually insured. For more detail, see the "Certificates of Insurance" brochure created by the Risk Management Society.