Subcontractor compliance checklist
The subcontractor compliance checklist
for UK contractors, before work begins.
A practical list of the documents to collect from subcontractors before they set foot on site, broken down by type and what to check for each one.
Most UK contractors start with a spreadsheet or a mental note that holds together until a site manager asks for proof and you find yourself scrambling through old emails. This checklist gives you a starting point so you know exactly what to ask for before anyone sets foot on site.
14-day free trial · No card required
The checklist
What to collect from every subcontractor
This subcontractor document checklist covers the supporting evidence UK contractors typically collect before work begins. Not every item applies to every trade, so adjust it for the scope of work.
Insurance
These two are non-negotiable. Check the cover amount and the expiry date, not just whether a certificate exists.
Competence cards and registrations
Cards prove the operative can legally carry out the work. An expired card is treated the same as no card on most sites.
Health and safety documentation
These are what a principal contractor or HSE inspector will ask for if something goes wrong on site.
Business credentials
Less urgent day-to-day, but increasingly required by principal contractors and useful for audit readiness.
A few things worth knowing before you start collecting
Not everything applies to everyone. A sole trader with no employees is not legally required to hold Employers Liability Insurance. A groundworker almost certainly does not have an ECS card. Adjust the checklist for the trade and the scope of work.
RAMS are the exception to the expiry-date rule. There is no statutory expiry on a Risk Assessment and Method Statement, but an old one is often useless. If the scope of work changes, site conditions change, or there has been a significant gap since it was written, request a fresh one. A practical rule: ask for updated RAMS at the start of each new mobilisation, even from subcontractors you have worked with before.
Check the cover amount, not just the date. An insurance certificate can be technically valid but offer inadequate cover for the job. A policy for £1m public liability may not satisfy a principal contractor requiring £5m or £10m. Always check the cover level alongside the expiry date.
SSIP accreditation covers a lot of ground at once. CHAS, SafeContractor, Constructionline, and their equivalents are all SSIP-approved schemes. A subcontractor holding any current SSIP accreditation has already had their health and safety capability assessed to a recognised standard. If a subcontractor has one, it significantly reduces the individual documentation you need to gather from them.
Collecting documents is the easy part
Most contractors manage to gather the documents when a subcontractor first comes on board. The problem that catches people out is what happens six months later, when an insurance certificate quietly lapses and nobody notices.
A certificate lands in your inbox in January. Twelve months later the policy has renewed under a new document, but the version in your folder still shows a date that has passed. A site manager or a principal contractor asks for proof, and you are scrambling to find out whether the cover is still valid.
That is not a paperwork problem. It is a tracking problem. Collecting documents gets you started. Knowing when they expire is what keeps you covered.
ExpiryFlow
Track every expiry date without a spreadsheet
ExpiryFlow is built for exactly this. Add your subcontractors, upload their documents, and the system tracks every expiry date across your supply chain. When something is about to lapse, you get an email reminder at 30, 7, and 1 day before it expires. No spreadsheet to maintain. No manual checking required.
It takes about 10 minutes to set up. There is a 14-day free trial with no card required.
Common questions
What documents should I collect from a subcontractor before they start?
For most UK construction sites: Public Liability Insurance, Employers Liability Insurance (if they employ staff), a valid CSCS card for each operative, a Risk Assessment and Method Statement, and any trade-specific certification. For electrical work, that means an ECS card or NICEIC registration. For gas work, a Gas Safe registration card. For plant, a LOLER inspection certificate.
How often should I review subcontractor documents?
At the start of each new contract, and whenever something is due to expire. Insurance certificates typically renew annually. CSCS cards are valid for five years. The safest approach is to log every expiry date when you collect the document, then review records at least 30 days before anything lapses.
Is there a legal requirement to collect these documents?
CDM 2015 places responsibilities on principal contractors to manage subcontractor competence and ensure those carrying out work are suitably qualified. There is no single statutory document list, but failing to hold evidence of competence and valid insurance puts you at risk if something goes wrong on site.
What happens if a subcontractor's insurance expires mid-contract?
An expired certificate offers no protection. If an incident occurs while a subcontractor's insurance has lapsed, the liability may fall back on you. This is why tracking expiry dates, not just collecting documents once, matters.
Try ExpiryFlow free for 14 days
Add your subcontractors, upload their documents, and your compliance dashboard is live in under 10 minutes.
Start free trialNo card required · £19/month after trial