If you've ever subcontracted a drone job through a larger company or taken on work where a client handed you a contract to sign, you've probably run into insurance requirements that felt more complicated than the flight itself. Certificate of insurance, additional insured, waiver of subrogation — these terms show up in contracts constantly, and if you don't understand what they mean for your coverage, you could be flying without the protection you think you have.
We've talked to a lot of commercial operators who assumed their drone insurance covered everything a client was asking for. Sometimes it does. Often, it doesn't — not out of the box.
What a certificate of insurance actually is
A certificate of insurance (COI) is a one-page document that proves you have active insurance coverage. Clients, site owners, and general contractors use it to verify that you're covered before you show up on location. It lists your insurer, policy limits, coverage dates, and the type of coverage you carry.
Most commercial drone insurance policies let you generate a COI on demand. With drone insurance through SkyWatch, you can get your certificate within minutes — which matters when a job comes in on short notice and the client needs documentation before you can start.
The additional insured request you'll see everywhere
Here's where it gets specific. When a client says "we need to be listed as additional insured," they're not just asking to see your policy. They're asking to be named on it, so that if something goes wrong and they get sued as a result of your drone operation, your insurance covers them too.
This is standard practice in construction, real estate, film, and any industry where drone subcontracting is common. If your aviation insurance policy doesn't support additional insured endorsements, you'll either lose the job or be flying under a client's policy instead of your own — which creates its own set of problems.
Before accepting any subcontracting work, confirm that your policy allows additional insured listings and understand whether they're included automatically or require a separate endorsement.
Waiver of subrogation — and why clients ask for it
A waiver of subrogation means your insurer agrees not to go after the client to recover costs if a claim is paid out. Without it, here's what can happen: you crash, your insurer pays the claim, and then your insurer sues the client to recover the money — even if the client was partly responsible. The client doesn't want that exposure, so they ask you to waive it upfront.
Again, this comes down to what your policy supports. Some commercial drone policies include this as a standard option. Others require a rider. Either way, this is something to confirm before signing a subcontract, not after.
On-demand coverage for subcontracting work
One thing that works well for drone subcontractors is on-demand coverage — the ability to buy drone insurance per flight or for a specific date range, rather than paying for an annual policy whether you're flying or not.
If you're taking subcontracting jobs a few times a month, paying for coverage only when you need it can make more financial sense. And if a client needs a COI for tomorrow's job, same-day coverage means you can get it done without scrambling.
That said, if you're subcontracting regularly and know you'll be flying most weeks, an annual policy with higher limits may be the better choice — especially if clients are consistently asking for $1 million or $2 million in drone liability insurance.
Before you sign the next subcontract
Run through this list before committing to any subcontracting job:
- Does your policy support additional insured endorsements?
- Can you generate a certificate of insurance quickly?
- Does your policy include or allow a waiver of subrogation?
- Are your liability limits high enough to meet the client's contract requirements?
- Is your hull coverage current if you're flying expensive equipment on the job?
Most commercial drone pilots only find gaps in their coverage when a client sends back a contract with missing requirements. Getting clear on your policy before that happens saves time, prevents lost jobs, and means you're actually protected when you fly.
If you want to see what commercial drone subcontractor coverage looks like in practice, get a quote from SkyWatch and check what's included before your next job lands in your inbox.
