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Per-project aggregate, explained clearly.
If you run more than one job at a time, your single shared general liability aggregate is a hidden risk: one bad claim can quietly drain the limit that's supposed to protect every other project. The per-project aggregate endorsement gives each job its own limit. Here is exactly how ISO form CG 25 03 works and why general contractors insist on it.
At a Glance
- ISO form
- CG 25 03
- Effect
- Separate limit per project
- Commonly
- Required by GCs
- Pairs with
- CG 25 04 (completed ops)
Quick answer
A per-project aggregate endorsement makes your general liability aggregate limit apply separately to each construction project instead of sharing one limit across everything. On a standard general liability policy there is a single general aggregate — the most it will pay in the policy year across all your work. If one large claim on Project A erodes that shared aggregate, later projects can be left with reduced or no coverage. The designated construction project general aggregate limit endorsement (ISO form CG 25 03) fixes that by giving each designated project its own full aggregate. General contractors frequently require it, and it lets a contractor meet contract language demanding a specified amount of insurance dedicated to a specific project. Ellie Insurance Group is an independent agency (founded 2014, Tampa, Florida) that shops 100+ carrier markets to add per-project aggregate for contractors who need it.
Who needs this
Who most needs a per-project aggregate
Contractors running multiple jobs at once
The core exposure — one claim shouldn't be allowed to drain the limit protecting your other active projects.
Subcontractors bidding GC work
General contractors routinely require a per-project aggregate in their subcontract insurance terms.
Trade contractors on large developments
Big projects concentrate exposure; a dedicated aggregate keeps that project fully protected.
Any contractor whose COI is being scrutinized
When a GC's risk manager reviews your certificate, per-project aggregate is a common must-have.
Contractors with completed-operations exposure
May also need the companion CG 25 04 for a per-project completed-ops aggregate.
Growing contractors adding crews
More concurrent work means more chances for the shared aggregate to be a problem.
What it covers
What the per-project aggregate endorsement does
It doesn't add a new coverage — it reorganizes how your existing general aggregate applies, which is what makes your certificate limits real per job.
- Separate general aggregate per designated project
Each scheduled project gets its own general aggregate equal to the policy's general aggregate — claims on one don't erode another.
- Contract compliance
Lets you satisfy contract language requiring a specified amount of insurance dedicated to a specific project.
- Protection of unrelated projects
A large loss on one job no longer reduces the limits available to your other active work.
- Certificate credibility
The limit a GC sees on the COI is genuinely available to their project, not potentially pre-consumed.
- Companion completed-ops aggregate (CG 25 04)
When required, a separate products-completed operations aggregate can also be applied per designated project.
What it doesn't cover
What per-project aggregate does NOT do
It's a limit-structure endorsement, not new coverage — so its boundaries matter.
- It does not raise your per-occurrence limit
- It does not change coverage that is otherwise excluded by the GL policy
- By itself it does not modify the products-completed operations aggregate (that's CG 25 04)
- It applies only to the projects actually scheduled on the endorsement
- It does not replace additional insured, primary & non-contributory, or waiver of subrogation
- It does not cover projects added after binding unless they're scheduled
Cost drivers
What drives per-project aggregate pricing
Number of designated projects
More scheduled projects means more dedicated aggregate exposure for the carrier.
Project size and type of work
Larger, higher-hazard projects carry more exposure and cost.
Underlying GL limits
Each project's separate aggregate mirrors the policy's general aggregate.
Carrier appetite
Availability of CG 25 03/04 and pricing vary meaningfully by carrier.
Loss history
Prior GL claims affect both eligibility and cost.
Completed-ops needs
Adding CG 25 04 for per-project completed operations affects premium.
Quote checklist
What we'll need to add per-project aggregate
- The contract's exact insurance-requirements section
- Your current general liability declarations page
- The specific project(s) to be designated (address / description)
- Whether completed-operations aggregate is also required (CG 25 04)
- Required general aggregate limit per project
- Any additional insured / primary & non-contributory / waiver requirements in the same contract
- Prior GL loss history
A worked example
How a shared aggregate leaves a later job exposed
Here is the shared-limit problem in numbers — and how CG 25 03 solves it.
A contractor carries a general liability policy with a $2,000,000 general aggregate and is running three projects in the same policy year. Every certificate shows the full $2M — but there is only one aggregate behind all three.
A serious claim on Project A settles for $1,500,000. That single loss consumes most of the one shared aggregate, leaving only $500,000 for Projects B and C combined — even though nothing went wrong on those jobs. The GCs on B and C thought they had $2M each; in reality they're sharing the remainder.
With a per-project aggregate (CG 25 03), each designated project has its own $2,000,000 general aggregate. The $1.5M loss on Project A comes out of Project A's aggregate only — Projects B and C still have their full $2M each. That's exactly the assurance a general contractor is demanding when it requires per-project limits.
Know the forms
CG 25 03 vs. CG 25 04
Contracts sometimes ask for both. We read the requirement carefully and endorse exactly what's needed.
- CG 25 03 — Designated Construction Project(s) General Aggregate Limit
Applies a separate general aggregate to each scheduled project. The core per-project aggregate endorsement.
- CG 25 04 — Designated Project(s) Products-Completed Operations Aggregate
Applies a separate products-completed operations aggregate to designated projects. Used when completed-ops exposure also needs a dedicated limit.
- Single shared aggregate (no endorsement)
One general aggregate across all operations for the policy year — the default, and the exposure per-project aggregate solves.
A GC asked for a 'per-project aggregate' on your COI?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- It is an endorsement that makes your general liability policy's general aggregate limit apply separately to each designated construction project, rather than as a single limit shared across all of your operations. IRMI describes the designated construction project general aggregate limit endorsement as modifying the CGL so the general aggregate applies separately to each construction project, enabling a contractor to comply with contractual requirements to maintain a specified amount of insurance for a specific project.
- A standard general liability policy has a single general aggregate — the total it will pay for covered claims during the policy year across everything you do. If you're running several jobs and one project produces a large claim, that claim reduces the one shared aggregate for all of them. Later or concurrent projects can be left with a depleted limit — or none at all — even though nothing went wrong on those jobs.
- The standard form is ISO CG 25 03, the Designated Construction Project(s) General Aggregate Limit endorsement. It schedules the specific project(s) and gives each its own separate general aggregate equal to the policy's general aggregate. A companion form, CG 25 04, can apply a separate products-completed operations aggregate to designated projects.
- Not by itself. CG 25 03 addresses the general aggregate for the designated project; it does not modify the products-completed operations aggregate, which has its own separate limit. If completed-operations exposure on a specific project also needs a dedicated aggregate, that's handled by the companion CG 25 04 endorsement. We confirm which the contract actually requires.
- GCs want assurance that the full limit shown on your certificate is genuinely available to their project — not something that could already be half-consumed by an unrelated job. Contract language commonly requires a subcontractor to maintain a specified general aggregate 'per project,' and CG 25 03 is how you actually comply. Without it, your certificate may technically meet the number while the real available limit is far lower.
- The risk is lower, but it still exists across the policy year — an early claim can erode the aggregate available for a later job. And many contracts require the endorsement regardless of how you sequence work, because the GC is protecting against the shared-limit problem generally. If a contract asks for it, you need it on the policy, not just implied.
- Adding per-project aggregate increases exposure for the carrier, so it typically carries additional premium, and availability and pricing vary by carrier and by the number and size of designated projects. As an independent agency we shop it across markets to find carriers whose forms and pricing fit contractors who routinely need per-project limits.
Keep reading
Explore related coverage
General Liability
Per-project aggregate is an endorsement that modifies the GL aggregate.
Primary & Non-Contributory
Another contract-driven GL requirement GCs demand.
Waiver of Subrogation
Frequently required in the same contract clause.
Additional Insured
The other core piece of contractual risk transfer.
Contractors Industry
Where per-project aggregate matters most.
General Liability Cost Guide
How endorsements affect GL premium.
Sources
Authoritative references
- IRMI — Designated Construction Project General Aggregate Limit Endorsement (definition)
- IRMI — General Aggregate Limit (definition)
Coverage descriptions and regulatory figures on this page are general summaries reviewed against the references above and are not a statement of coverage, legal advice, or a guarantee of eligibility or price. Last reviewed . Requirements and policy terms change — always confirm current rules with the relevant agency and verify coverage against the actual policy and a licensed agent.
Carrier access
Access to 100+ A-rated commercial markets
As an independent agency we shop 100+ admitted and surplus-lines carrier markets — so the carrier competes for your business, not the other way around.
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Next step
Add a per-project aggregate to meet your contract
Send us the contract's insurance requirements and your current GL declarations. An Ellie agent will confirm whether you need CG 25 03, CG 25 04, or both, add the endorsement, and issue a certificate that genuinely matches what the general contractor is asking for.