Title: Vetting and credentials guides | Cercha

Description: Check subcontractor references, licenses, insurance and scope before a house start. Use these guides to prepare questions and verify records.

Canonical: https://cercha.pages.dev/guides/topics/vetting-and-credentials/

# Vetting and credentials guides

Guides: Vetting and credentials.

- [Additional insured: what it means for a builder](</guides/additional-insured/>)

  Additional insured status comes from policy provisions or an endorsement. A certificate holder entry alone does not create it.
- [Certificate of insurance: what it shows and what it does not](</guides/certificate-of-insurance/>)

  A certificate summarizes listed insurance policies. Read the entity, dates, and limits, then check the policy language for the protection you require.
- [How to check a subcontractor's insurance](</guides/check-subcontractor-insurance/>)

  Get current evidence from the producer or insurer, match it to your subcontract, and ask about the policy terms your project requires.
- [What documents to collect from a subcontractor](</guides/documents-from-a-subcontractor/>)

  Collect the documents that answer identity, authorization, coverage, scope, and payment questions. Keep tax information in a restricted accounting file.
- [General liability insurance for subcontractors, explained](</guides/general-liability-for-subcontractors/>)

  General liability addresses specified business liability risks. Match the actual policy to your trade, work arrangement, and builder’s requirements.
- [A license is not insurance: two separate checks](</guides/license-is-not-insurance/>)

  A contractor license and an insurance policy answer different questions. In North Carolina, a GC license does not itself require or prove insurance.
- [What is subcontractor default insurance?](</guides/subcontractor-default-insurance/>)

  Subcontractor default insurance protects a general contractor against specified losses from a sub’s default. It is different from the sub’s liability insurance.
- [Subcontractor prequalification for home builders](</guides/subcontractor-prequalification/>)

  Prequalification reviews a company before you consider it for work. Use a short form, then verify the answers that affect your decision.
- [What happens if your sub has no insurance](</guides/subcontractor-without-insurance/>)

  An uninsured sub leaves coverage questions unresolved. In North Carolina, a builder can also face workers’ compensation liability for the sub’s employees.
- [Does a subcontractor need workers' comp?](</guides/subcontractor-workers-comp/>)

  In North Carolina, the general rule concerns three or more regularly employed workers. Subcontracting creates another coverage question for your builder.
- [How to verify a contractor license](</guides/verify-contractor-license/>)

  Use the issuing board, match the license to the signing company, and compare its authorization with the work you are buying.
- [How to vet a subcontractor before awarding work](</guides/vet-a-subcontractor/>)

  Match each requirement to evidence and a dated check. Resolve identity, coverage, reference, and capacity questions before you approve the scope.

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