ISO CG 22 94 Exclusion Explained: How to Restore Subcontractor Completed Operations Coverage (2026)
ISO Endorsement CG 22 94 ("Exclusion — Damage to Work Performed by Subcontractors on Your Behalf") deletes the single most important sentence in a General Contractor’s Commercial General Liability policy: the subcontractor exception to Exclusion l. ("Damage to Your Work") under ISO Form CG 00 01. Under unmodified ISO CG 00 01 wording, property damage to your completed project is covered if the damaged work or the work out of which the damage arises was performed on your behalf by a subcontractor. Once an E&S or surplus-lines carrier attaches CG 22 94 (or its scheduled cousin CG 22 95), any post-completion water intrusion, framing failure, HVAC leak, or foundation defect caused by a hired trade subcontractor results in a 100% coverage denial.
General Contractor Left With $320,000 Uninsured Water Defect Claim Due to Missing CG 20 37 & CG 22 94 Exclusion
A GC collected a subcontractor COI showing "Additional Insured: Yes," but the actual binder only attached ISO CG 20 10 (Ongoing Operations)—omitting ISO CG 20 37 (Completed Operations)—and the GC’s own GL policy contained ISO CG 22 94 deleting the Subcontractor Exception.
EndorseIQ™ mandates both ISO CG 20 10/20 38 and CG 20 37 (Completed Operations), strikes ISO CG 22 94 and CG 21 39, and enforces Primary & Noncontributory (CG 20 01) vertical exhaustion.
Check Your Full Contract PDF for Cross-Section Overrides (Free 60s Scan)
Fixing one clause alone often fails when a buried definition, exhibit, or survival clause elsewhere in your Construction GL & Subcontractor neutralizes your protection. Drop your PDF or Word (.docx) below for an instant, 100% anonymous cross-section audit.
“MANDATORY DELETION OF ISO CG 22 94 / CG 22 95 & PRESERVATION OF SUBCONTRACTOR EXCEPTION: Endorsements CG 22 94 and CG 22 95 are deleted in their entirety. Section I — Coverage A, Exclusion l. ("Damage To Your Work") shall remain unmodified per standard ISO Form CG 00 01, explicitly
What to Say to the GL Carrier & Upstream GC / Owner Requirements
"As a General Contractor subcontracting trade work, attaching ISO CG 22 94 or CG 22 95 renders our Products-Completed Operations limit illusory. We require full deletion of CG 22 94 so the standard ISO CG 00 01 subcontractor exception to Exclusion l. remains intact, or a Subcontractor Defect Buy-Back endorsement at full limits."
Why they drafted it this way: Surplus-lines and non-admitted construction GL underwriters attach ISO CG 22 94 to discount front-end premium quotes by 10%–18% while eliminating their largest loss category: post-completion construction defect litigation involving trade subcontractors.
Mandatory Audit Checklist Points
- Inspect the Schedule of Forms for ISO CG 22 94, CG 22 95, or manuscript "Subcontractor Work" exclusions
- Verify Section I — Coverage A, Exclusion l. retains the unmodified ISO CG 00 01 subcontractor exception
- Reject "Subcontractor Warranty Endorsements" that forfeit GC coverage if a sub’s COI lapses mid-project
- Maintain Completed Operations coverage through the full state construction statute of repose (6–10 years)
Paste Your ISO CG 22 94 exclusion subcontractor damage to your work completed operations Section or Upload Your Full Construction GL & Subcontractor (.pdf / .docx)
Check if your draft has a hidden loophole or cross-section override. Click ⚡ Preview Sample Audit (Instant) to see a live demo in 0.2s, or upload your own PDF / Word (.docx) contract below:
EndorseIQ™ Policy & Binder Scanner
ACTIVE ENGINE: ENDORSEIQ™ (MULTI-HOP ISO & COVERAGE GRAPH)Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between ISO CG 00 01 and ISO CG 22 94 for General Contractors?
Standard ISO CG 00 01 excludes property damage to "your work" after completion, EXCEPT when the work was performed on your behalf by a subcontractor. ISO CG 22 94 deletes that subcontractor exception—meaning if a roofing or plumbing subcontractor’s defective work ruins the completed building, the GC has $0 completed-operations coverage.
How does ISO CG 22 95 differ from ISO CG 22 94?
While ISO CG 22 94 deletes the subcontractor exception across all operations blanket-wide, ISO CG 22 95 deletes the subcontractor exception for specific designated sites or operations listed in the endorsement schedule. Both must be struck or bought back prior to binding.
How do I redline ISO CG 22 94 exclusion subcontractor damage to your work completed operations traps in my Construction GL & Subcontractor anonymously without creating an account?
Upload your Construction GL & Subcontractor PDF or Word (.docx) draft to ExclusionRadar.com to run the "ISO CG 22 94 Exclusion Explained: How to Restore Subcontractor Completed Operations Coverage (2026)" defense cartridge 100% anonymously—with zero account registration, zero email login, and stateless in-memory processing. EndorseIQ™ flags ISO CG 22 94 exclusion subcontractor damage to your work completed operations exposure (typically $185,000 – $1,200,000+ in denied subcontractor defect claims; documented unredlined loss: $320,000 denied Completed Operations & subcontractor defect claim), checks for cross-section overrides, and exports a ready-to-send Microsoft Word (.docx) Track-Changes file.
More Construction GL & Subcontractor Redline Playbooks
View All Construction GL & Subcontractor PlaybooksCG 20 10 vs. CG 20 37: How to Audit Subcontractor COIs for Ongoing & Completed Operations Gaps
Collecting an ACORD 25 Certificate of Insurance with an "X" in the Additional Insured column does not confer legal coverage. Over 75% of construction defect and bodily injury claims arise after work finishes, yet subcontractors routinely supply only ISO CG 20 10 ("Additional Insured — Ongoing Operations"), which terminates the exact day the subcontractor leaves the site. Without ISO CG 20 37 ("Additional Insured — Products-Completed Operations Hazard") and ISO CG 20 38 (automatic upstream status without direct contract privity), upstream GCs and Property Owners face immediate tender rejections.
NY Labor Law § 240/241 "Action-Over" Exclusion Audit: Catching Grave Injury & Scaffold Law GL Traps
Under New York Labor Law § 240 ("Scaffold Law") and § 241(6), property owners and general contractors face strict, absolute liability for gravity-related worker injuries. When a subcontractor’s injured worker collects Workers’ Compensation and then sues the upstream Property Owner and GC under Labor Law § 240, the Owner/GC tenders the defense and contractual indemnity back down to the subcontractor ("Action-Over"). However, E&S carriers in New York routinely slip an "Action-Over Exclusion," "Injury to Employee of Contractor Exclusion," or ISO CG 21 39 into the subcontractor’s or GC’s GL binder—wiping out 100% of coverage for the exact claim structure that dominates NY construction litigation.
Texas Insurance Code Chapter 151 Anti-Indemnity Audit: Enforcing CG 20 10 & CG 20 37 Carve-Outs
Under the Texas Anti-Indemnity Act (Texas Insurance Code Chapter 151, §§ 151.102–151.104), any provision in a construction contract—and any Additional Insured endorsement—that requires a subcontractor to indemnify or insure an upstream GC or Owner for the upstream party’s own negligence is void and unenforceable as against public policy, WITH TWO CRITICAL STATUTORY EXCEPTIONS: (1) bodily injury or death of an employee of the indemnitor/subcontractor (§ 151.103), and (2) municipal or public works projects (§ 151.105). If a Texas GL binder attaches an overbroad Texas Anti-Indemnity limitation endorsement that fails to preserve the § 151.103 Employee Bodily Injury exception, or omits ISO CG 20 10 / CG 20 37 comparative-fault wording, defense tenders are routinely denied.
ISO CG 21 39 Contractual Liability Limitation: Why It Voids Hold-Harmless Indemnity & How to Strike It
In a standard ISO CG 00 01 Commercial General Liability policy, Exclusion b. ("Contractual Liability") excludes liability assumed in a contract, EXCEPT for liability assumed in an "Insured Contract." Under Section V, Definition 9 ("Insured Contract"), paragraphs L. through E. cover leases, sidetrack agreements, and elevator maintenance, while Paragraph f. is the crucial catch-all covering every construction subcontract, vendor MSA, and hold-harmless indemnity agreement. ISO Endorsement CG 21 39 ("Contractual Liability Limitation") deletes Paragraph f. completely—meaning the moment you sign a subcontract or client MSA agreeing to indemnify your client for third-party bodily injury or property damage, you have zero insurance backing that promise.