By Dave Jensen, CEO, CoPS on Doody · Commercial Pet Waste Station Service · September 2026
A pet waste vendor working on community property should carry three insurance coverages the board can verify by certificate: general liability, workers' compensation, and additional-insured status naming the association. Hiring a vendor without them may create risk for the community, a liability a volunteer board holds a fiduciary duty to avoid.
In 2026, that duty is not abstract. When an uninsured worker is injured on the grounds or damages resident property, the exposure can land on the association that hired them. The three coverages below, confirmed on a current certificate of insurance, help keep that risk where it belongs.
This guide explains what to verify, how to confirm a policy is real and current, and the licensing questions that sit alongside insurance so the board protects the community before a technician ever arrives.
Insurance protects the board by keeping the vendor's operational risk off the association's balance sheet. A pet waste crew works around residents, children, and pets, moves equipment, and handles biological waste activities that create real liability. Proper coverage means an injury or damage claim is paid by the vendor's insurer, not the community's. For a volunteer board with a fiduciary duty to the membership, verifying that coverage is part of the job, not a formality.
Three coverages carry the weight. General liability covers third-party injury and property damage on the grounds. Workers' compensation covers the vendor's own crew, so an injured technician does not become the association's problem. Additional-insured status names the community on the vendor's policy, extending protection to the property directly. A vendor should provide all three on request; missing any one leaves a gap the board absorbs.
Confirming a policy means verifying the certificate, not accepting a statement. Request the certificate of insurance directly and check three things: that coverage is current by date, that limits are adequate for a commercial property, and that the association is named as additional insured. For full assurance, the certificate can come straight from the vendor's insurance agent. "We're covered" is a claim; a current, named certificate is verification.
Who actually performs the service on your property affects how coverage applies. Ask each vendor who performs the work, whether every person on-site is covered by the vendor's insurance, and how that coverage is documented. Workers who are not covered under the vendor's own policies may leave gaps in the association's protection. The answer determines whether the community's protection is complete or has a hole in it and a legitimate vendor answers it directly.
Licensing and compliance round out the vendor's legitimacy beyond insurance. Confirm the company holds any business licenses its jurisdiction requires and follows compliant practices for handling and disposing of collected waste. A vendor operating without proper licensing is a compliance risk that can surface at the worst time. A legitimate operator answers licensing questions directly and keeps its documentation current. Ask, too, how the vendor stores and shares its documentation: a company that can email a current certificate and license on request is one that treats compliance as a standing practice, not a scramble triggered by a board's question.
A pet waste vendor on community property should carry general liability, workers' compensation, and additional-insured coverage naming the association all verifiable on a current certificate of insurance. Hiring an uninsured or under-insured vendor may create real risk for the community, which is precisely what a board's fiduciary duty exists to prevent. Request the certificate directly, confirm the coverages and dates, ask who performs the work, and sign only with a vendor whose protection is documented and complete.
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