6 Core Documents Hiring Managers Must Verify Before Day One
6 Core Documents Hiring Managers Must Verify Before Day One
Before a subcontractor sets foot on your site, you need six documents in hand and checked: a certificate of insurance with the endorsement pages, a signed W-9, a contractor licence valid in the project state, the signed subcontract, proof of workers' comp (or a written exemption), and an ACH payment form. Incomplete file, no site access.
The word that matters is "checked". A PDF nobody verified proves only that someone sent you a PDF. This checklist covers what to collect, how to verify each item, and how to stop it expiring halfway through the job.
ExpiryEdge tracks the expiry dates on these documents and chases renewals automatically, so you can use this list as a living file rather than a one-off.
The documents to collect before mobilisation
Treat this as a gate, not a suggestion. The order follows risk: the first items protect you legally and financially if something goes wrong on day one.
- Certificate of insurance. Check general liability, auto and umbrella against the limits your prime contract flows down. You should appear as additional insured through the actual endorsement forms (commonly CG 20 10 for ongoing work and CG 20 37 for completed work), plus a waiver of subrogation if the contract requires one. A COI without the endorsement pages isn't complete.
- W-9. Every sub, whether sole proprietor, LLC or corporation, completes an IRS Form W-9 before the first payment. If you file 1099s, the IRS's free TIN Matching tool lets you check the name and number match before year end.
- Contractor licence, valid where the work is. A licence from the sub's home state doesn't help if the job is three states away. Look up the number on the licensing board's site for the project state.
- Signed subcontract. It needs a defined scope, payment terms, retainage, termination rights and a flow-down clause tying the sub to your prime contract. Read the scope line by line. Vague scope is where most change-order fights start.
- Entity check. A Secretary of State search confirms the business is active and registered under the name on the contract and W-9.
- Workers' comp, or a written exemption. Some states let certain owners or officers exempt themselves. Get the state-issued exemption document, never a verbal "I'm exempt".
- EMR and OSHA 300A summary. An experience modification rate above 1.0 means worse claims history than average for the trade. Pair it with the 300A injury summary and ask about anything that looks off.
- Lien waivers. Decide whether you'll take conditional or unconditional waivers, and check whether your state prescribes the wording. California and Texas both have statutory forms, so a downloaded template won't do.
- ACH form. Keep banking details in an access-controlled system, never in a shared spreadsheet or email thread.
- Safety data sheets. Any sub bringing solvents, coatings or other chemicals on site supplies the SDS before the materials arrive.
Use two gates. Company documents (insurance, licence, entity) open the file. Worker documents (safety cards, orientation sign-offs) let each person onto site. A new crew member then needs their own clearance even when the company file is complete.
How to verify each document, not just file it
Most onboarding failures happen at this step, because someone filed the PDF and moved on. The ACORD 25 certificate is a summary written by the agent. It doesn't change the policy, so you need the endorsements behind it.
A verification pass that holds up looks like this:
- Ask the agent or broker to confirm the policy is in force and the limits match. Ask for the certificate to come from them, not forwarded by the sub.
- Check the insurer's AM Best rating if it's a carrier you don't know.
- Run the licence through the state board's public lookup and save a dated screenshot.
- Compare the W-9 name with the Secretary of State record. A mismatch is a reason to stop and ask.
- Confirm workers' comp with the carrier or, for an exemption, get the state's own certificate where one exists.
Write down who ran each check, when and how. A log with a name, date and method turns "we checked" into evidence an auditor or opposing counsel can see.
Worker-level safety records to have on file
Company paperwork protects the contract. Worker paperwork protects the person on the scaffold. Under OSHA's multi-employer citation policy, a controlling employer "must exercise reasonable care to prevent and detect violations on the site." Checking the subs' training records is part of showing that care.
- OSHA 10 and 30 cards, where your contract, client or state requires them. Our OSHA 10 vs OSHA 30 guide explains the difference.
- Forklift and aerial lift operator evaluations, matched to the machines they'll actually use. Forklift operators need re-evaluation at least every three years.
- Trade certifications such as confined space entry or rigging, checked against the actual scope, not the job title.
- A signed site orientation form from every worker before their first shift, stored where it survives crew changes.
Crew swaps are where this breaks. If a sub sends three new people in week six, those three need cards and orientation checked before they walk on, not at the next audit.
A ten-day onboarding timeline
Each step has a named owner, so nothing stalls on a task nobody picked up.
- T-10: The compliance coordinator sends the invite and full requirements list, and confirms the sub received it.
- T-7: The sub uploads documents. Automatic reminders go out for anything missing.
- T-3: The coordinator and safety lead verify everything. Deficiencies go back with a hard deadline.
- T-1: Accounts payable confirms banking details and payment terms.
- Day 0: The project manager approves mobilisation only if every gating document has cleared.
Never fast-track insurance or safety documents to protect a start date. Some things can wait a few days, like a secondary trade certification for work scheduled three weeks out. Say which ones in writing so nobody improvises on the day.
Track renewals so nothing expires mid-project
On a job that runs six months, at least one policy or licence will probably renew while the sub is on site. Onboarding isn't a one-time event.
- Ask for renewed certificates 30 days before expiry. That gives the sub's broker time to issue the new paperwork.
- For repeat subs, re-check what changed since the last job instead of rebuilding the file.
- Attach the evidence (carrier confirmation, licence screenshot) to each renewal in the sub's record.
- A spreadsheet copes with a handful of subs. Once you're tracking dozens of dates across trades, automated compliance tracking catches what a manual sheet misses.
If you only set one reminder, set it at 30 days, not 7. A lapse spotted a week out rarely gets fixed in time.
What goes in the audit binder
When an inspector, auditor or lawyer asks for proof of due diligence, they ask for roughly the same things. Keep them indexed in one place, not scattered across inboxes.
- The signed subcontract and every amendment
- Each COI with its endorsement pages, including expired ones
- The W-9 and your TIN check result
- Dated licence lookups
- OSHA 300A summaries and signed orientation forms
- Lien waivers for every pay application
- ACH forms, stored separately because of the banking data
Date every piece of verification evidence. There's no single retention rule for these files, and claims can land years after closeout, so have counsel set a period and apply it to every sub.
Wording you can reuse
Group your checklist fields three ways: company level (insurance, licence, entity), worker level (cards, certifications) and project level (scope, orientation). Then reuse plain wording like this:
- COI request: "Please have your agent send an ACORD 25 naming us as additional insured, with the CG 20 10 and CG 20 37 endorsements attached."
- Scope check: "Materials, labour, equipment and milestones are stated in the subcontract, not only in an attachment."
- Lien waivers: use your state's statutory form where one exists, and have counsel approve any template you use in other states.
Why one owner beats six inboxes
I've watched compliance teams lose an afternoon hunting for one endorsement page, then find it in a reply-all from three weeks earlier. That's not a paperwork problem. It's an ownership problem, and it goes away when one person and one system own the file.
Deadline-driven tracking works because it removes guesswork. The reminder goes out before the COI lapses, not after an uninsured crew is already on site.
— Kuldeep
Collect and track subcontractor documents in ExpiryEdge
ExpiryEdge keeps COI, licence and certification dates for every sub in one place and reminds the responsible person by email, SMS, WhatsApp, Slack or Teams before anything lapses. Overdue items escalate to a manager.
It also handles collection. One request link can ask a subcontractor for the COI, W-9, licence and ACH form and carry the subcontract for e-signature, so the file arrives complete instead of in six separate emails. The sub needs no account, follow-ups go out automatically until everything is in, and you can reject a single item, such as a COI missing an endorsement, without asking them to resubmit the rest.
Every reminder, upload and approval goes into an exportable audit trail, which is the record you'll want if a claim lands.
If onboarding still runs on shared inboxes, try it on your next new sub. The trial lasts 14 days and needs no credit card.
Sources
FAQ
What Documents Should Be Included in a Subcontractor Onboarding Checklist?
Start with six: a certificate of insurance with the endorsement pages, a signed W-9, a contractor licence valid in the project state, the signed subcontract, proof of workers' comp or a written exemption, and an ACH form. Then add worker-level items such as OSHA 10 or 30 cards, equipment operator certifications and signed site orientation forms before anyone's first shift.
What Documents Are Required for Subcontractor Onboarding Specifically?
Beyond the core six, most general contractors also ask for a Secretary of State entity search, the sub's EMR and OSHA 300A summary for safety screening, safety data sheets for any chemicals they bring, and lien waivers in your state's required format. California and Texas, for example, prescribe statutory waiver forms, so a generic template won't do.
What Documents Do You Need From a Subcontractor Before They Start Work?
Anything that protects you if something goes wrong on day one: insurance with the endorsement pages, a licence valid in the project state, the signed subcontract and workers' comp proof (or the state's exemption certificate). Check each yourself. Don't just file it. The W-9 and ACH form can follow, as long as they're in before the first pay application.
What Are the Stages of the Subcontractor Onboarding Process?
A ten-day run works for most jobs. Send the requirements list at T-10. Expect uploads by T-7, with reminders for anything missing. Verify and send back deficiencies by T-3. Accounts payable confirms banking details at T-1, and on day 0 the project manager approves mobilisation only if every gating document has cleared.
How Long Should You Keep Subcontractor Onboarding Documents on File?
There's no single rule. Your prime contract, your insurer and your state's limitation periods all matter, and claims can surface years after closeout. Many firms keep the full file, including expired certificates and verification notes, for several years after the project ends. Ask your counsel to set a period and apply it to every file.
Recommended
Frequently asked questions
Beyond the core six, most general contractors want a few more. Start with a Secretary of State entity search. For safety screening, ask for the sub's EMR and OSHA 300A summary. You'll need safety data sheets for any chemicals they bring, plus lien waivers in your state's required format. That last one matters. California and Texas, for example, set statutory waiver forms, so a generic template won't do.
Anything that protects you if something goes wrong on day one: insurance with the endorsement pages, a licence valid in the project state, the signed subcontract and workers' comp proof (or the state's exemption certificate). Check each yourself. Don't just file it. The W-9 and ACH form can follow, as long as they're in before the first pay application.
A ten-day run works for most jobs. Send the requirements list at T-10. Expect uploads by T-7, with reminders for anything missing. Verify and send back deficiencies by T-3. Accounts payable confirms banking details at T-1, and on day 0 the project manager approves mobilisation only if every gating document has cleared.
There's no single rule. Your prime contract, your insurer and your state's limitation periods all matter, and claims can surface years after closeout. Many firms keep the full file, including expired certificates and verification notes, for several years after the project ends. Ask your counsel to set a period and apply it to every file.
Yes, if you use a document request rather than email. A single request can include file uploads for the COI, W-9 and license, fields for contact and payment details, and the subcontractor agreement for e-signature. In ExpiryEdge the sub completes it from one link without creating an account, and anything missing or wrong is sent back on its own while the rest of the file stays approved.
Not legal advice
This article is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Laws, regulations and contract requirements vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Consult a qualified attorney in your jurisdiction before making decisions that depend on the specific legal interpretation discussed here.
