Title: Subcontractor prequalification checklist | Cercha
Description: Check a sub’s scope, crew, references, license, and insurance before award. Print a checklist to record evidence and unresolved questions.
Canonical: https://cercha.pages.dev/tools/subcontractor-prequalification-checklist/
# Subcontractor prequalification checklist
Tools for residential building
Before you fill a trade slot, compare the crew, scope, and evidence for this job. Record what you checked and what still needs an answer.
You need a sub for a specific opening in the schedule. Use this subcontractor prequalification checklist to compare the proposed crew, work boundaries, and evidence before award. Fill out one sheet for each candidate. Keep the drawing revision and trade package beside it so every conversation starts from the same assignment.
Start with the company that will sign. Ask who supplies labor, materials, equipment, and cleanup. Write down exclusions, including return visits after another trade finishes. Treat an unanswered item as an open question with an owner and response date.
Do not turn a blank box into a favorable answer because the start date is close.
Ask about the crew assigned to your job. Record the foreman, committed workers, start conditions, and competing commitments. Discuss rough-in and trim separately. Request a callback contact before you need one.
These are suggested interview prompts. They are not a promise that a particular crew can meet your schedule.
Next, ask for comparable work and speak with the references. The North Carolina GC board recommends reference checks and written project details. [Board hiring guidance](https://www.nclbgc.org/remodeling-home-improvement-contracts/) Use those topics to ask about missed handoffs, changes, and return work. Record what the reference says and the scope the sub performed.
Keep opinion separate from documents you reviewed.
Review credentials on their own. In North Carolina, a GC license belongs to its named legal entity. GC licensure itself does not require insurance. [Board license FAQ](https://www.nclbgc.org/faq-contractors/) Ask the applicable board about your jurisdiction and trade.
Send policy questions to your insurer or licensed insurance agent.
The ACORD certificate states that policy terms and exclusions control coverage. [ACORD certificate specimen](https://tdi.texas.gov/certificates/documentcr/s21357a.pdf)
For a North Carolina workers’ comp search, treat the result as a lead for follow-up. The Industrial Commission warns that its coverage database is not proof of insurance and may miss recent or unreported changes. [Commission coverage notice](https://www.ic.nc.gov/)
Request direct confirmation from the employer or insurer. Record the question, the answer, and the check date.
Finish with your decision and its conditions. Use award, hold, or decline as your own review labels. A completed sheet records the checks you made. Ask a construction attorney about contractual responsibility before signing a disputed scope or term.
## Print note
Print one blank sheet per candidate. Use the section labels in the checklist to group your notes. Attach evidence separately and carry unresolved items forward. Keep private documents in your business records.
## Carry the review into the award decision
Use the [sub-vetting guide](/guides/vet-a-subcontractor/) to plan the conversation. The [prequalification guide](/guides/subcontractor-prequalification/) explains how to compare candidate records before award.
For NC work, refer policy questions to the reviewer under the [certificate-of-insurance statute](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_58/GS_58-3-149.html). Send subcontracting liability questions under [G.S. 97-19](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_97/GS_97-19.html) to the insurer and construction attorney.
Return to the [construction tools hub](/tools/) for the other quantity checks and printable records.
Suggested pre-award worksheet. Adapt it to the project and jurisdiction. Ask the licensing board, insurer or licensed insurance agent, and construction attorney to resolve credential or contract questions.
- [ ] Job and entity: Record project, trade package, reviewer, and check date: _____. Why: Keep this review tied to one assignment.
- [ ] Job and entity: Record the contracting legal name, business address, and contact: _____. Why: Resolve who will bid and sign.
- [ ] Job and entity: Attach the current drawing revision and written scope: _____. Why: Give each candidate the same work to price.
- [ ] Job and entity: List inclusions, exclusions, and unresolved scope boundaries: _____. Why: Find unassigned work before award.
- [ ] Crew and timing: Name the assigned foreman and site contact: _____. Why: Know who can answer field questions.
- [ ] Crew and timing: Confirm committed crew size and concurrent jobs directly: _____. Why: Discuss capacity for your dates.
- [ ] Crew and timing: Record start conditions, start window, return visits, and backup contact: _____. Why: Plan rough-in, finish, and corrections separately.
- [ ] Crew and timing: Ask who supplies tools, lifting, protection, and cleanup: _____. Why: Identify support the builder must arrange.
- [ ] Work evidence: Request comparable jobs and identify the sub’s exact scope on each: _____. Why: Compare relevant work.
- [ ] Work evidence: Call references about schedule, changes, cleanup, and return work: _____. Why: Record first-hand answers.
- [ ] Work evidence: Review detail and completion photos with the sub: _____. Why: Ask for context beyond the finished view.
- [ ] Work evidence: Record the callback contact and proposed workmanship warranty: _____. Why: Set a follow-up responsibility to discuss.
- [ ] Credentials: Ask the issuing board which license applies to the entity and scope: _____. Why: Resolve the applicable authorization.
- [ ] Credentials: Record official lookup result, status, scope, and date checked: _____. Why: Keep the record you reviewed.
- [ ] Credentials: Request a current COI and send coverage questions to your insurance reviewer: _____. Why: Keep insurance review separate from licensing.
- [ ] Credentials: Request workers’ comp evidence and direct employer or insurer confirmation: _____. Why: Resolve coverage questions before award.
- [ ] Decision: List each unresolved issue, its owner, and response date: _____. Why: Prevent an unanswered question becoming an assumption.
- [ ] Decision: Record proposed award, hold, or decline, with reviewer and reason: _____. Why: Make your decision traceable.
- [ ] Decision: Assign the onboarding handoff and recheck date: _____. Why: Carry the open questions into the job file.
Print this checklist from the HTML page.
## Where Cercha fits
Cercha’s Search filters help you narrow members by trade, ZIP code, and radius. Profiles show portfolios and builder endorsements for an initial conversation. Use Messages to ask about the proposed crew and work, then complete your checks directly.
## Build your connections
[Ask about the beta]()
## Sources
1. North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. (n.d.). *FAQ for Contractors*. NC Licensing Board for General Contractors. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://www.nclbgc.org/faq-contractors/
2. North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. (n.d.). *Building, remodeling, improving your home*. NC Licensing Board for General Contractors. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://www.nclbgc.org/remodeling-home-improvement-contracts/
3. ACORD. (2016, March). *Certificate of Liability Insurance*. Texas Department of Insurance. https://tdi.texas.gov/certificates/documentcr/s21357a.pdf
4. North Carolina Industrial Commission. (n.d.). *Welcome to the North Carolina Industrial Commission*. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://www.ic.nc.gov/
5. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-3-149. https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_58/GS_58-3-149.html
6. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 97-19. https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_97/GS_97-19.html