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Subcontractor Onboarding Checklist

A general contractor's checklist for clearing a subcontractor to start work, covering the subcontract, license, W-9, insurance and site orientation.

Updated
  • construction
  • subcontractors
  • certificate of insurance
  • jobsite safety
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About this document

A subcontractor onboarding checklist is a general contractor's record that a subcontractor has signed the subcontract, supplied tax, license and insurance paperwork, and been through site orientation before starting work. The subcontractor onboarding checklist also sets the contacts, reporting and change rules for the job.

Complete the subcontractor onboarding checklist for each subcontractor on each project, before the first day on site. Attach a construction scope of work to the subcontract so the checklist has a defined scope to point to. Check the certificate of insurance against the limits and endorsements the subcontract requires, not just that one exists, because an uninsured subcontractor's injury or damage claim can fall on your own policy.

How to fill it in

  1. Fill in the subcontractor details. Enter the company, trade, main contact, project, planned start date and who is doing the onboarding. Use one checklist per subcontractor per project.
  2. Collect and check the paperwork. Tick off the signed subcontract, W-9, license lookup, bonds and safety program. Look the license up on your state licensing board's website and note the number and expiry.
  3. Match insurance to the subcontract. Enter the required limits, then the carrier, policy number and expiry from the certificate. Confirm the additional insured and waiver of subrogation endorsements when the subcontract requires them.
  4. Run the site orientation. Walk the crew lead through site rules, protective equipment, the emergency plan and injury reporting. Explain daily reports, RFIs and the rule that extra work needs a signed change order.
  5. Sign before work starts. Have the subcontractor and your superintendent or project manager sign and date the checklist. Keep it with the subcontract and diary the insurance expiry dates.
Subcontractor Onboarding Checklist

Subcontractor Onboarding Checklist

Paperwork, insurance, and site orientation, done before the first day of work

Subcontractor

[Company name]

Trade

[Trade]

Main contact

[Name, phone, email]

Project

[Project name]

Planned start date

[Date]

Onboarded by

[Name]

Paperwork

  • Signed subcontract, with the scope of work attached

  • W-9 on file, for year-end tax reporting

  • Contractor license number checked with the licensing board: [number, expiry]

  • Lower-tier subcontractors and main suppliers listed: [names], so their lien waivers can be collected with each payment

  • Certificate of insurance received and checked against the subcontract (see below)

  • Payment and performance bonds, if the subcontract requires them

  • Written safety program or site-specific safety plan

  • Billing instructions received: pay application format, due date, retainage, lien waivers required with each payment

  • Crew safety training records, such as OSHA 10-hour or 30-hour cards, if the site, owner, or your state requires them

  • Prevailing wage, certified payroll, and other public contract requirements explained, if this is a public or federally funded job

  • Emergency contact for the crew

Insurance

Coverage

Required by subcontract

Carrier

Policy number

Expires

General liability

[$ per occurrence / aggregate]

Commercial auto

[$]

Workers' compensation

[Statutory]

Umbrella or excess

[$]

  • Additional insured and waiver of subrogation endorsements received, if the subcontract requires them (ask for the endorsement pages, not just the certificate)

  • Insurance expiry dates noted, with a reminder to get renewed certificates: [who tracks them]

Site orientation

  • Site rules, working hours, parking, and sign-in

  • Required protective equipment: [hard hat, eye protection, high-visibility vest, boots]

  • Emergency plan, meeting point, and nearest hospital

  • How to report injuries, near misses, and property damage: [name, phone]

  • Site-specific hazards and rules: [fall protection, ladders and scaffolds, excavations, hot work permits, as they apply]

  • First aid kit, fire extinguishers, and safety data sheets: where they are

  • Housekeeping and waste disposal

  • Weekly safety talk: [day and time]

How we work together

  • Day-to-day contact: [superintendent name, phone]

  • Daily report or sign-in: [how and when]

  • Submittals and shop drawings: send to [name] by [date]

  • Questions about drawings go in writing as an RFI to [name].

  • Extra work is paid only with a signed change order issued before the work starts.

Schedule

Start

[Date]

Expected duration

[Number of days or weeks]

Must finish before

[Following trade or milestone]

Name

Signature

Date

Subcontractor

[Name]

[Signature]

[Date]

Contractor

[Name]

[Signature]

[Date]

Page 1 of 1376 words

Frequently asked questions

What insurance should a subcontractor carry?

Most subcontracts require commercial general liability, commercial auto, workers' compensation and often an umbrella policy. The subcontract sets the limits, which usually follow what the owner requires of the general contractor. Many also require additional insured and waiver of subrogation endorsements. Workers' compensation rules vary by state.

What is an additional insured endorsement?

An additional insured endorsement is an addition to the subcontractor's liability policy that extends its coverage to the general contractor, and often the owner, for claims arising from the subcontractor's work. A certificate of insurance alone does not prove it. Ask for a copy of the endorsement itself.

Do I need a W-9 from a subcontractor?

Yes, collect a W-9 before the first payment. It gives you the subcontractor's legal name and tax ID number for the Form 1099-NEC you may need to file at year end. If a subcontractor will not provide a tax ID, the IRS may require backup withholding. See the IRS Form W-9 page.

Is a general contractor responsible for a subcontractor's injured worker?

It can be. In many states, if a subcontractor has no workers' compensation coverage, the general contractor can be treated as the employer and its own policy pays the claim. That is why general contractors check the subcontractor's workers' compensation certificate before work starts. The rules differ by state.

Sources

  1. IRSAbout Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (opens in a new tab)

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