Per Project Aggregate Endorsement: CG 25 03 vs CG 25 04

Last updated July 2026.

A per project aggregate endorsement (ISO form CG 25 03) gives each designated construction project its own separate general aggregate limit, so claims on one job cannot erode the coverage available on another. Without it, a subcontractor carries a single general aggregate shared across every project it works all policy year, and a bad claim on someone else job can quietly exhaust the limit protecting yours. General contractors require it, and its close cousin CG 25 04 does the same thing per location.

The general aggregate is the most misunderstood number on a certificate of insurance. A limit that reads two million general aggregate looks comfortable until you learn it is shared across every project the insured touched that year. The per project aggregate endorsement fixes that, and knowing how to read it for on a certificate is a core skill for anyone verifying subcontractor insurance.

What is a per project aggregate endorsement?

A per project aggregate endorsement amends a commercial general liability policy so the general aggregate limit applies separately to each construction project listed or, on a blanket basis, to every project. The endorsement resets a fresh general aggregate for each job equal to the policy general aggregate. If a subcontractor has a two million general aggregate and the CG 25 03 endorsement, your project gets its own two million that other projects cannot spend down.

Why do general contractors require a per project aggregate?

Because a shared aggregate is a limit you do not control. A subcontractor on your job is also working five other jobs, and a large claim on any of them draws down the same general aggregate. By the time a loss hits your project, the limit could be partly or fully gone. Requiring a per project aggregate guarantees your job has its own dedicated limit for the life of the work, which is why it appears in most construction insurance exhibits alongside additional insured and waiver of subrogation.

CG 25 03 vs CG 25 04: what is the difference?

Both endorsements create separate general aggregate limits, but they slice coverage differently. CG 25 03 applies a separate aggregate to each designated construction project, which is what general contractors usually want. CG 25 04 applies a separate aggregate to each designated location owned by or rented to the insured, which fits owners and tenants with multiple premises more than a project based contractor.

Neither endorsement changes the separate products-completed operations aggregate, which is handled by other forms such as CG 25 46 for designated locations.

How do you verify a per project aggregate on a certificate of insurance?

Look past the limits box. The general aggregate figure on an ACORD 25 does not tell you whether it is shared or per project, so you have to confirm the endorsement is actually attached. Request a copy of the CG 25 03 endorsement, check that your project is scheduled or that the form is written on a blanket basis, and confirm the edition date and policy number match the certificate. AI powered certificate of insurance verification reads the endorsement forms alongside the certificate so a missing or mismatched per project aggregate is flagged rather than assumed.

Does a per project aggregate cost the subcontractor more?

Sometimes, because the insurer is effectively multiplying the aggregate limit across projects, but the added premium is usually modest compared with the protection it buys the project owner. Many contractors carry it by default because so many contracts demand it. From the general contractor side, the cost is not your concern; what matters is that the endorsement is on the policy and covers your job, and that you verified it rather than trusting the limits box.

What is a shared aggregate and why is it risky?

A standard commercial general liability policy carries one general aggregate that caps the total the insurer will pay for covered claims during the policy period, across everything the insured does. For a subcontractor running a dozen jobs, that single limit is spent down by claims on any of them, in the order they are paid. A project you verified in January with a full two million aggregate could have far less left by the time a loss hits in October, and nothing on the certificate warns you. That invisible erosion is the exact risk the per project aggregate endorsement removes.

Blanket vs scheduled per project aggregate

A per project aggregate endorsement can be written two ways. A scheduled version lists specific projects, so you must confirm your job is named on the schedule. A blanket version applies a separate aggregate to every project the insured works, so any job qualifies automatically. Blanket is stronger for a general contractor because it does not depend on the subcontractor remembering to add your project to a list. When you request the endorsement, check which form you are looking at, and if it is scheduled, confirm your project actually appears.

Where the per project aggregate appears in a contract

You will usually find it in the insurance exhibit or requirements section of a subcontract, listed alongside minimum limits, additional insured on ongoing and completed operations, primary and noncontributory wording, and waiver of subrogation. Contract language often reads something like general aggregate to apply per project. That single line is your instruction to verify the CG 25 03 endorsement is attached, not just to check the aggregate number in the limits box.

Track the endorsement, not just the limit

A per project aggregate is only useful if it is really attached and still in force, which is exactly the kind of check that slips during a busy onboarding. COI tracking for general contractors reads every subcontractor certificate and endorsement, confirms the per project aggregate, additional insured and waiver of subrogation are present, and reminds you before any policy lapses. Upload a certificate to COISoftware and see it read in seconds on the free tier. Pulling the endorsement forms off each policy is the same document data extraction work AI now handles automatically.