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Insurance Requirements

Insurance Requirements

Department of Community and Human Services

April 15, 2021 Changes

Beginning April 15, 2021 DCHS will be updating the Insurance Provisions required for all contractors. You can find the updated provisions and a crosswalk document explaining the changes from the previous versions below.

 2021 Insurance Requirements DCHS 2021 Insurance Changes for Contractors

Please note, these new provisions will ONLY be required for NEW contracts effective after April 15, 2021. As always, DCHS will work with contractors on an individual basis regarding the appropriate insurance requirements for their contract.

If you have any questions, please contact dchscontracts@kingcounty.gov.

Listed below are the Minimum Scope and Minimum Limits of insurance coverage requirements and documentation that must be received before a contract can be signed:

$1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage and, for those policies with aggregate limits, a $2,000,000 aggregate limit (CG 00 01 current edition, or its substantive equivalent, including Contractual Liability, and Products and Completed Operations covering COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY).
$1,000,000 per claim and in the aggregate. In the event that services delivered pursuant to this Contract either directly or indirectly involve or require professional services, Professional Liability, Errors, and Omissions coverage shall be provided. “Professional Services,” for the purpose of this Contract section, shall mean any services provided by a licensed professional or those services that require professional standards of care.

$1,000,000 combined single limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage. In the event that services delivered pursuant to this Contract involve the transportation of clients by Contractor personnel in Contractor-owned vehicles or non-owned vehicles, the limit shall be no less than $3,000,000 combined single limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage.

Insurance Services Office form number (CA 00 01) covering BUSINESS AUTO COVERAGE, symbol 1 “any auto”; or the appropriate coverage provided by symbols 2, 7, 8, or 9.

Statutory requirements of the State of residency and Employers’ Liability or “Stop Gap” coverage: $1,000,000.
Any deductible and/or self-insured retention of the policies shall not apply to the Contractor’s liability to the County and shall be the sole responsibility of the Contractor or its Subcontractor.

The insurance coverage(s) required in this Contract are to contain, or be endorsed to contain, the following provisions:


  1. All Liability Policies except Workers’ Compensation and Professional Liability:

    1. The County, its officers, officials, employees and agents are to be covered as additional insureds, for full policy limits, as respects liability arising out of activities performed by or on behalf of the Contractor in connection with this Contract. Additional Insured Endorsement(s) shall be included with the certificate of insurance, “CG 2010 11/85" or its substantive equivalent is required. The County requires these Endorsement(s) to complete the Contract.

    2. Such coverage shall be primary and non-contributory insurance as respects the County, its officers, officials, employees and agents.

    3. The Contractor's insurance coverage shall apply separately to each insured against whom a claim is made and/or lawsuit is brought, except with respect to the limits of the insurer's liability.

  2. All policies

    1. Coverage shall not be suspended, voided, canceled, reduced in coverage or in limits, until after 45 calendar days prior written notice, has been given to the County. 

Insurance coverage is to be placed with insurers with an AM Bests' rating of no less than A: VIII, or, if not rated with an AM Bests', with minimum surpluses the equivalent of an AM Bests' surplus size VIII.

Professional Liability, Errors and Omissions insurance coverage may be placed with insurers with an AM Bests' rating of B+:VII. Any exception must be approved by the County.

If at any time any of the foregoing policies fail to meet minimum requirements, the Contractor shall, upon notice to that effect from the County, promptly obtain a new policy, and shall submit the same to the County, with the appropriate certificates and endorsements, for approval.

The Contractor shall furnish the County certificates of insurance and endorsements required by this Contract. Such certificates and endorsements, and renewals thereof, shall be attached as exhibits to the Contract. The certificates and endorsements for each insurance policy are to be on forms approved by the County prior to the commencement of activities associated with the Contract. In the event of a claim, the County reserves the right to require complete, certified copies of all required insurance policies at any time, which may be redacted of confidential and proprietary information.

If the Agency/Contracting Party is a Municipal Corporation or an agency of the State of Washington and is a member of the Washington Cities Insurance Authority (WCIA) or any other self-insurance risk pool, a written acknowledgement/certification of current membership will be attached to the Agreement as Exhibit I and satisfies the insurance requirements specified above.

The Contractor shall include all Subcontractors as insureds under its policies or, alternatively, the Contractor must require each of its Subcontractors to procure and maintain appropriate and reasonable insurance coverage and insurance limits to cover each of the Subcontractor’s liabilities given the scope of work and the services being provided. All liability insurance policies (except Professional Liability and Workers’ Compensation” provided by the Subcontractor(s) must include King County, its officers, officials, agents, and employees as additional insured, for full policy limits. Contractor is obligated to require and verify that all Subcontractors maintain insurance and ensure that King county is included as additional insured. Upon request by the County, and within give (5) business days, Contractor must provide evidence of Subcontractor(s) insurance coverage (including endorsements).

For Contractors providing services to Community Protection Program Clients, it shall maintain limits no less than for:

$3,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage and, for those policies with aggregate limits, a $3,000,000 aggregate limit (CG 00 01 current edition, or its substantive equivalent, including Contractual Liability, and Products and Completed Operations covering COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY).

Housing and Community Development Requirements

Insurance Services Office Form Number CP 00 10 covering BUILDING AND PERSONAL PROPERTY COVERAGE and Insurance Services Office form number (CP 10 30) CAUSES OF LOSS - SPECIAL FORM or project appropriate equivalent, written on a replacement cost basis, is required.
The use of CDBG and HOME funds for acquisition or construction purposes in identified flood hazard areas shall be subject to contract agency mandatory purchase of flood insurance as required by Section 102(a) of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973.   
The contractor shall procure and maintain, at its sole cost and expense, during the life of the Contract, or until acceptance of the project by King County, whichever is longer, "All Risk" Builders Risk Insurance at least as broad as ISO form number CP0020 ( Builders Risk Coverage Form) with ISO form number CP0030 (Causes of Loss - Special Form) including coverage for collapse, theft and property in transit. The coverage shall insure for direct physical loss to property of the entire construction project, for one hundred percent of the replacement value thereof. The policy shall be endorsed to cover the interests, as they may appear, of King County, Owner, Contractor and subcontractors of all tiers with King County listed as a loss payee. 

Prior to commencement of building construction and until construction is complete and approved, the Agency shall cause the construction contractor and related professionals to procure and maintain insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property which may arise from, or in connection with the activities related to this Contract. The Agency and County shall be named as additional insureds on liability policies except Workers Compensation and Professional Liability, and as Named Insureds on Builders Risk policies. The cost of such insurance shall be paid by the Agency and/or any of the Agency's contractors/ subcontractors. The Agency shall maintain limits no less than the following:

  • Commercial General Liability: $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage and $2,000,000 in the aggregate
  • Automobile Liability: $1,000,000 combined single limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage
  • Professional Liability, Errors & Omissions: $1,000,000 per claim and in the aggregate
  • Builder's Risk Insurance: One hundred percent replacement cost value.
  • Workers Compensation: Statutory requirements of the state of residency.
  • Stop Gap or Employers Liability Coverage: $1,000,000.
The County shall be added to all Property Coverage Policies as a loss payee as its interests may appear.

For Contractors providing mental health outpatient treatment or non-treatment services, it shall maintain limits no less than, for

$3,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage and, for those policies with aggregate limits, a $3,000,000 aggregate limit (CG 00 01 current edition, or its substantive equivalent, including Contractual Liability, and Products and Completed Operations covering COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY).
$3,000,000 per claim and in the aggregate. In the event that services delivered pursuant to this Contract either directly or indirectly involve or require professional services, Professional Liability, Errors, and Omissions coverage shall be provided. “Professional Services,” for the purpose of this Contract section, shall mean any services provided by a licensed professional or those services that require professional standards of care.

For Contractors providing mental health inpatient services, it shall maintain limits no less than, for:

$5,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage and, for those policies with aggregate limits, a $5,000,000 aggregate limit (CG 00 01 current edition, or its substantive equivalent, including Contractual Liability, and Products and Completed Operations covering COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY)
$3,000,000 per claim and in the aggregate. In the event that services delivered pursuant to this Contract either directly or indirectly involve or require professional services, Professional Liability, Errors, and Omissions coverage shall be provided. “Professional Services,” for the purpose of this Contract section, shall mean any services provided by a licensed professional or those services that require professional standards of care.
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