ACORD 25 Description of Operations: Wording and Examples
The Description of Operations area on an ACORD 25 helps the issuer identify relevant operations, locations or certificate details. It is not a blank space where a requester can add insurance rights. Review its statements against the actual policies and supporting provisions.
Texas TDI’s certificate FAQ gives a useful jurisdiction-specific distinction: a job or contract number may identify a project, but certificate wording cannot imply broader coverage simply because another contract requires it. Ask the responsible issuer to determine accurate and permitted wording for the transaction.
Separate identification from coverage assertions
A project name, work location or purchase-order reference helps route a document. A statement about additional insured status, waivers or exclusions concerns policy terms. Keep those purposes distinct when preparing your request.
For example, an administrative request might say:
Please identify the project as “North Annex lighting replacement, reference NA-204,” and provide the supporting policy documents for the insurance requirements supplied separately.
That is an original request example, not official ACORD wording or an insurer certification. The issuer must decide what belongs on the issued document.
Questions to ask while reviewing remarks
- Does the project identifier match the work order being reviewed?
- Are all referenced additional pages included and associated with this certificate?
- Do the policy numbers and dates match the accompanying endorsements?
- Does the wording describe a blanket provision, a scheduled arrangement or something unclear?
- Is a broad coverage statement supported by actual policy language?
A phrase such as “per written agreement” does not eliminate the need to locate that agreement and assess any policy conditions. A list of entities does not, by itself, explain whether they qualify for insured status.
A hypothetical operations mismatch
Pine Facilities receives an HVAC contractor’s certificate for a rooftop replacement. The remarks name an unrelated office-renovation project, while the attached endorsement references the current policy. Pine asks the broker to clarify the work and issue accurate evidence. It records the mismatch rather than concluding that the endorsement either definitely applies or definitely fails from the remarks alone.
Request documents instead of editing the PDF
Send the contract requirement, exact legal entities and project details to the broker. Ask for the responsive provision or endorsement and a corrected certificate where needed. The NY OGS guidance includes the certificate’s reminder that underlying policy terms govern.
Use the deficiency email template to keep follow-up specific. Certy can flag recorded field mismatches and organize renewals, but text extraction does not establish that every statement in the remarks is supported by the policy.
Frequently asked questions
Can description-of-operations wording create additional insured status?
No. Review the policy provisions or endorsements that support the reported status; certificate wording does not itself change the policy.
Can we include a project number?
Ask the issuer how to identify the project accurately. For example, Texas TDI allows an identification number but restricts statements implying the policy satisfies another contract.