Ask whether the sub takes your work
Use the first call to ask whether the sub wants the work and can review the scope. Describe the project type, scope, location, and start window. Tell the candidate whether you are making an inquiry or requesting a bid.
Ask these questions before sending a large drawing set:
- Do you take this specific residential package?
- Do you work in this area and under these access conditions?
- Do you supply materials, install only, or offer both?
- Who reviews plans and provides the price?
- What job size or scope would make this a poor fit?
- What information do you need to decide whether to bid?
Note the work the sub will not take. If the firm does not take partial remodel packages, record that answer and move on.
Before ending the call, repeat the package and ask the candidate to correct any misunderstanding. Note whether its answer concerns the company generally or the crew proposed for this job. Keep company answers and crew answers separate at the scope meeting.
End the call with a next action. Agree who sends the scope, who reviews it, and when you will reconnect. Ask how to reach the estimating contact. Do not assume the person who answered handles the bid.
Review inclusions and exclusions against the drawings
Bring the current drawings and selections to the scope review. Identify their revision and ask the bidder which documents it used. Keep a list of unresolved decisions visible during the conversation.
Scroll to read all columns.
| Question | Follow-up evidence | What you should resolve |
|---|---|---|
| What is included in your price? | Written proposal tied to the revision | What the awarded package includes and excludes |
| What preparation do you expect from us? | Readiness checklist or written conditions | The point at which the crew can start |
| What work belongs to another trade? | Listed exclusions and handoff notes | Who handles each trade handoff |
| Who buys and receives materials? | Material responsibility in the scope | Ordering, damage, shortages, and storage |
| Which visits does the package include? | Rough-in, finish, punch, or other visit list | Completion beyond the first installation |
| How do you handle a changed condition? | Written change process | Authority to approve price and time changes |
Ask where this trade’s work meets the next trade’s work. For roof and siding work, ask who checks the roof-wall flashing before concealment. PNNL’s flashing guide identifies coordination between housewrap and roofing trades. Use the approved project detail to decide what to check before covering the work.
For a remodel, ask what the firm needs exposed before it can commit to its price. Record assumptions about retained surfaces and concealed conditions. Ask who approves opening up the work and how the findings change the scope.
Ask who will perform the work
Ask which crew will do the job. Company size does not answer that question. Identify the foreman assigned to your package and the person who can change that assignment.
Ask these crew and schedule questions:
- Which crew are you proposing for this start?
- What existing commitments overlap with that window?
- Which part of our schedule can you confirm now?
- What must be ready before you hold or release a start?
- Who covers the lead if that person becomes unavailable?
- Who returns for inspections, finish work, and punch items?
Speak with the assigned lead when the package needs that discussion. Compare the lead’s understanding of the scope with the estimator’s proposal. Resolve differences before the start meeting.
If the firm plans to subcontract part of the package, ask which business performs it. Clarify supervision, documentation, insurance review, and responsibility through your normal award process. Check each business’s credentials for the work it will do.
Verify licenses, insurance, and tax paperwork
Ask for the contracting entity’s name, the license claimed, and the issuing authority. Request the number needed for the official lookup. Ask the authority to resolve a name or scope mismatch.
In the NC GC system, the board FAQ separates an entity’s license from a qualifier’s examination credential. That distinction matters when a person says they are licensed. Verify the business you would hire, and ask the relevant trade board about this scope.
When the candidate says it is insured, ask for current producer- or insurer-issued evidence. Have your licensed agent compare the package requirements with the policy and any relevant endorsements. NC’s certificate statute says a COI cannot create additional policy rights.
The NC Industrial Commission’s employer guidance explains workers’ compensation coverage obligations, including the general three-employee rule and exceptions. Ask your agent about the proposed company and crew.
Ask who handles secure tax onboarding. The IRS W-9 guidance begins after the payer determines independent-contractor status. Have your accountant address classification and reporting rather than treating a completed form as the entire hiring decision.
Keep a list of the documents you requested. List the answer, evidence needed, person responsible, and review status. Flag any required check still open, even if you like the bid.
Ask a reference about a specific job
Request references who can discuss comparable work. Get permission to contact them. Tell the reference which project and package you want to understand before beginning the interview.
Use the reference interview guide to ask about a comparable job. Check current capacity separately from past performance.
Ask what the subcontractor performed, who led the crew, and when the work happened. Then ask about the agreed start, work sequence, communication, corrections, and closeout. Ask whether the reference would hire the firm again for the same kind of work.
Avoid asking only whether the sub was good. Ask for an example when the reference describes communication or quality. If the reference reports a problem, ask what happened next and who corrected it. Record facts and context rather than a single rating.
Do not assume a homeowner can assess production capacity or concealed installation details. Ask each reference about what they observed. Use a superintendent or builder for questions about trade handoffs, and the relevant documents for credential questions.
Ask how the job reaches completion
Before awarding the package, discuss how the firm defines installation complete, punch complete, and service after occupancy. Request its written workmanship terms and the contact for a callback. List the manufacturer’s coverage and the installer’s promises separately.
Ask who coordinates inspections and what evidence comes back to your job file. Raleigh’s residential inspection guidance lists separate rough-in and final stages. Use the permit requirements to list required visits and who gets the site ready.
Agree the payment and invoice process before work starts. Ask what supporting records the firm supplies and who handles a disputed item. Have your construction attorney address the terms before a dispute comes up at closeout.
Use the answers to produce a final scope and contact sheet. Send it to the owner and assigned foreman for confirmation. If a required answer remains vague, request a concrete revision before booking the crew.
Use the subcontractor search process to place this check within the wider candidate search.
Where Cercha fits
Cercha’s portfolios and builder endorsements give you context for questions about a member’s work. Messages provide a direct route to start the conversation. Confirm scope, staffing, references, and documents through the hiring process before an award. Ask about the beta.