Subcontractor onboarding checklist (free PDF)

How to use it

Write the subcontractor, the project, the trade and tier, and the planned start date at the top. Tick each line as the document comes in, with the date and your initials beside it. The sheet ends with a line for who cleared the subcontractor to start, and when.

It is a general list about practice in the United States, not legal or insurance advice. Your state, your contracts and your broker may call for more.

The list, and why each line is there

• Signed subcontract, with the insurance exhibit for the right tier. The exhibit is what the certificate is checked against, and a blanket endorsement reaches you only through a written contract.
• W-9 with the exact legal name and tax ID. The legal name on it is the one to match against the insured named on the certificate, and against your payment records.
• Contractor license, checked with the state where one is required. Licensing differs by state and by trade. The state’s own lookup shows whether the license is current.
• Certificate of insurance received from the agent, or confirmed with the agent, and reviewed. Run the review checklist on it.
• Every required endorsement received and reviewed. A marked box on the certificate is a statement. The endorsement form is the evidence.
• Workers’ compensation exemption certificate checked, if the subcontractor claims one. An exemption is a state document, so ask to see it. It is the owner’s own: ask your broker what it means for anyone the owner brings to the job.
• List of sub-subcontractors, with their insurance documents. Whoever your subcontractor hires works on your site too, and your requirements should reach them.
• Safety program, or the name of a safety contact. So that you know who answers for safety on their crew before the first day.
• Emergency contact and project contact details. For the day something goes wrong, and for the renewal request later in the year.
• Wrap-up enrollment completed, if the project has an OCIP or CCIP. A wrap-up covers a subcontractor only once enrolled, and only for what the program covers. Auto and off-site work are usually left out, and on a wrap-up for general liability alone so is workers’ compensation, so those certificates are still collected.
• Status set to Compliant in the tracker. Whatever you track in, the approval is recorded there, so that the next person does not have to ask you.
• Accounts payable and the project manager told of the approval. They are the two who pay and schedule, and they need to know before they do either.

What to send the subcontractor first

The list fills faster when the subcontractor is told at the start what is wanted. Send, together:

• A short welcome note that says why insurance matters to everyone on site.
• The insurance requirements for their tier, in plain words. The sample requirements show the layout.
• The one-page sheet for them to forward to their insurance agent.
• Your exact legal name and address, as they should appear as certificate holder.
• Where to send documents, and a person to ask.
• When the documents are due, and how renewals are handled.

The first request email carries all of it.