ACORD 186: Contractors Supplement
ACORD 186 is the Contractors Supplement. It expands the account's operations description with trade, project, subcontracting, and hazard information.
What it is
ACORD 186 is the Contractors Supplement. It expands the account's operations description with trade, project, subcontracting, and hazard information.
Begin with the actual work performed, including incidental trades. Reconcile revenue, payroll, subcontractor costs, and operation splits with the commercial application so the market receives one consistent description.
When it's used
- A contractor market requests this supplement.
- The business performs several trades or has material subcontracted work.
- A changed project mix or new activity needs review before submission.
Section-by-section walkthrough
Contractor profile
The type of contractor, years of experience, employee counts, the contractor's license number and who holds it, and the work splits: residential versus commercial, new construction versus remodel.
Review check: Verify current trades, experience, and work splits.
Receipts, payroll, and subcontractor costs
Gross receipts and payroll for the past year, the minimum GL limits the applicant requires of subcontractors, and the total cost of subcontracted work.
Review check: Use consistent periods for receipts, payroll, and subcontractor cost.
Hazardous exposure checklist
A yes/no grid covering work in or around exposures like explosive environments, airports, dams and bridges, petrochemical and power plants, high voltage, refineries, landfills, and hazardous material abatement.
Review check: Answer the applicable hazard questions explicitly.
General information questions
Operations questions: drawing plans for others, blasting, excavation and underground work, demolition, cranes, a written safety policy, subcontractor certificate practices, leased employees, and products sold under the applicant's name.
Review check: Follow instructions about questions answered on attached forms.
Trade-specific questions
Question blocks by trade: air conditioning and heating, cabinetmakers, carpentry, electrical, excavation and septic, insulation including EIFS, landscaping, masonry, painting, plumbing, and roofing. Each block asks what matters for that trade: roofing gets hot tar and work above two stories, painting gets spray work and scaffolding, excavation gets depth and utility marking.
Review check: Include all applicable trade activities.
Remarks
Explanations required by the selected form and additional context, using an accepted remarks attachment when needed.
Review check: Add required explanations and specific context.
State fraud warnings
The applicable notices and acknowledgments required by the application process.
Review check: Preserve the applicable notices and signature process.
In Relay
Relay can prepare supported ACORD drafts from the documents you provide. This reference guide explains ACORD 186; it is not a promise that this form or edition is available in your workspace. Check the supported form, then review the fields and missing answers before use. See how →
Common errors
- Describing only the primary trade.
- Percentages and exposure figures that do not reconcile.
- Answering a hazard question from the trade name instead of the actual work.
Common questions
Does ACORD 186 replace the general liability section?
It supplements the operations information. Use the market's requested packet and follow instructions that identify questions already answered elsewhere.
How detailed should trade descriptions be?
Describe what the crew actually does, where it works, and any relevant height, depth, material, or subcontracting exposure the form asks about. Include incidental work that changes the picture.
Related forms
Form references
- ACORD Forms Portal: current forms and authorized access
- ACORD-authored Forms Index, May 2024 (historical form names)
Confirm the form edition and requirements with the market receiving the submission.
Part of the Relay ACORD form library. Updated 2026-07-11. See how we source content.
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