Subcontractor Prequalification Form Template
What this is
The application you send a subcontractor before you let them bid or sign a subcontract. It collects company details, experience, financial capacity, bonding, insurance, safety record, legal history and references in one document you can score and file.
Send it once when a sub first comes to you, and refresh it annually or whenever the sub asks for a materially larger award than you have given them before.
A completed form contains commercially sensitive financial information about another company — revenue, working capital, backlog, bank relationships. The sub is trusting you with numbers their competitors would like to have.
- Store it where access is restricted. Prequalification files belong in a folder that accounting and the prequalification reviewer can open and nobody else can.
- Never forward it. Not to an estimator who wants to know if a competitor is busy, not to an owner, not to another sub. If an owner requires prequal information on a sub, have the sub send it to the owner directly.
- Do not attach it to a bid file that circulates. Reference the score, not the form.
- Delete superseded versions on a schedule. Three-year-old financials serve no purpose and carry the same confidentiality obligation as current ones.
This form deliberately does not ask for Social Security numbers or dates of birth. Many GC prequalification forms do, because they were copied from a surety's contractor questionnaire. A surety needs those to pull personal credit on indemnitors. You are not a surety, you are not pulling credit, and you have no use for them. What you would have instead is a file full of personally identifiable information about another company's owners, sitting on your network, with a breach notification obligation attached and no offsetting benefit. Do not collect them. If a sub's owners' personal credit genuinely matters to you, the answer is to require a bond and let the surety do that work.
When you use it
- A subcontractor you have not worked with asks to be added to your bid list
- An existing sub bids a scope materially larger than anything you have awarded them
- Annual requalification of your active sub list
- An owner or lender requires documented prequalification of the subcontractors on a job
- A sub's ownership, name, license status or bonding changes
- You are entering a new geography or trade and building a bid list from scratch
How to fill it in
This section is for you, the general contractor, not the sub. Send the form as-is; use these notes when you read the answers back.
The sections that actually decide the answer are experience, financial capacity, bonding and references. Everything else is administrative. If you are short on time, read the largest-project answer, the working capital number, the backlog number, and call two references. That is 80% of the signal.
Match the largest completed project against what you are about to award. A sub whose biggest job ever was $600,000 bidding a $2.4M scope is the single most reliable predictor of trouble on this form. It is not disqualifying, but it is the question that should change what you do — smaller award, bonding, joint checks, or a phased scope.
Working capital and backlog belong together. Working capital (current assets minus current liabilities) tells you what the sub can fund. Backlog at cost to complete tells you what they have already promised to fund. A sub with $180,000 of working capital and $6M of cost to complete is financing your job with somebody else's money.
Ask for the bonding capacity letter even when you are not requiring a bond. A surety has already underwritten the sub's finances at their own expense. The single and aggregate limits on that letter are a second opinion you get free.
The noise. Year founded, website, number of employees and office square footage tell you almost nothing on their own. Collect them for the file, do not score them. Length of time in business matters less than whether the same management has been there — a 40-year-old company bought by new owners eighteen months ago is an eighteen-month-old company.
Blank is not an answer. Return the form rather than guessing. A sub that leaves the failed-to-complete question blank has answered it.
Set a dollar threshold below which you use a short form instead of this one. Full prequalification on a $9,000 scope costs both sides more than the scope is worth. Many GCs set the line somewhere between $25,000 and $100,000 and adjust by trade risk.
A form is a snapshot, and a sub in trouble looks fine on paper for a while. Prequalification tells you who to let bid. It does not tell you who is going to fail six months into a job — for that, see the warning signs guide.
What good answers look like
Experience. Specific project names, real contract values, an owner and a GC you can call, and a contact who still works there. A sub who lists "various commercial projects, $500K–$5M" is either disorganized or hiding the distribution.
Failed to complete / terminated / surety completion. "Yes, in 2019, on a job where the owner stopped funding, here is the GC's name and number." Disclosure with a phone number is a good answer. "No" from a sub with a twenty-year history and a claim you later find is a much worse answer than any "yes".
Financials. A CPA review or audit, a fiscal year end that is not last week, and three years of revenue that move in a line you can explain. Growth of 15% a year is normal. Growth of 90% in one year is a risk factor, not an achievement, because overhead and working capital rarely keep up.
Bonding. A named surety, a named producer with a direct phone number, and single and aggregate limits that comfortably exceed what you are considering awarding. "We can get a bond if you need one" without a producer name usually means they have never been through underwriting.
Safety. Three years of OSHA 300 numbers and hours worked, so you can compute the rate yourself, plus an EMR history. A sub who provides recordables without hours is giving you an unusable number, and the fix is one email.
References. Contacts at companies that resemble yours, doing work that resembles your scope. Three references from residential remodelers tell you nothing about a sub's ability to run a hospital corridor.
The template
Copy everything below into your letterhead and send it as a fillable document. Fields marked (attach) require a document, not an answer.
Section 1 — Company information
| Field | Answer |
|---|---|
| Legal company name | |
| DBA / trade name, if different | |
| Physical address | |
| Mailing address, if different | |
| Main phone | |
| Website | |
| Primary contact name and title | |
| Primary contact email and direct phone | |
| Federal Tax ID (EIN) | |
| Entity type | [ ] Corporation [ ] S-Corp [ ] LLC [ ] Partnership [ ] Sole proprietor |
| State of formation | |
| Year founded | |
| Years under current management | |
| Number of employees — field | |
| Number of employees — office |
Contractor licenses
| License number | State | Classification(s) | Expiry date | Held in whose name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour status:
- Union — list locals and trades:
_________________________________ - Non-union
- Open shop
- Double-breasted
Are you a certified small, minority, women-owned, veteran-owned or disadvantaged business? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, list certifications and certifying agencies: _______________________________
Section 2 — Ownership and key personnel
List every owner with 10% or more, every officer, and every key employee whose departure would affect performance.
| Name | Title | % ownership | Years in construction | Years with company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ownership percentages should total 100%. If a holding company or trust owns shares, name it and name the individuals behind it.
We do not ask for Social Security numbers or dates of birth. Do not supply them. If a field on any version of this form appears to request them, leave it blank.
Has ownership changed in the last three years? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, describe: _____________________________________________________________
Who has authority to sign subcontracts and change orders?
| Name | Title | Dollar authority |
|---|---|---|
Section 3 — Trades and capabilities
Trades self-performed:
______________________________________________________________________________
Trades you subcontract out:
______________________________________________________________________________
Approximate percentage of your contract value subcontracted to others: ______ %
| Field | Answer |
|---|---|
| Geographic area normally worked | |
| Maximum distance from your office you will travel | |
| Typical project size (contract value) | $ |
| Largest project size you will bid | $ |
| Number of crews you can field simultaneously | |
| Do you have capacity available in the next 90 days? | [ ] Yes [ ] No |
| Approximate additional contract value you could take on now | $ |
Do you carry your own equipment, or rent? _____________________________________
Section 4 — Experience
Three largest completed projects
| Project name | Your contract value | Year completed | Owner | General contractor | Contact name, phone, email |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | |||||
| $ | |||||
| $ |
Three current projects
| Project name | Your contract value | % complete | Scheduled completion | General contractor | Contact name, phone, email |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | |||||
| $ | |||||
| $ |
Largest single project ever completed: $_______________ Year: __________
Owner and GC on that project: _________________________________________________
Performance history
Have you ever failed to complete a contract? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, explain — project, year, other party, and outcome:
______________________________________________________________________________
Has any contract of yours been terminated for cause, defaulted, or completed by a surety? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, explain: ______________________________________________________________
Have you been assessed liquidated damages in the last five years? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, explain: ______________________________________________________________
Section 5 — Financial
| Field | Answer |
|---|---|
| Fiscal year end (month/day) | |
| CPA firm name | |
| CPA contact and phone | |
| How long with this CPA | |
| Level of preparation | [ ] Audit [ ] Review [ ] Compilation [ ] Internal / tax return only |
| Revenue — most recent fiscal year | $ |
| Revenue — prior year | $ |
| Revenue — two years prior | $ |
| Working capital (current assets minus current liabilities) | $ |
| Net worth (total assets minus total liabilities) | $ |
| Current backlog — remaining contract value | $ |
| Current backlog — cost to complete | $ |
| As of date for the two backlog figures | |
| Bank name | |
| Bank officer and phone | |
| Line of credit — total amount | $ |
| Line of credit — amount currently drawn | $ |
| Line of credit renewal date |
Are financial statements attached? (attach) [ ] Yes [ ] No
If no, when can they be provided? _____________________________________________
Do you produce a work-in-progress schedule by job? [ ] Yes [ ] No How often? ______
Section 6 — Bonding
| Field | Answer |
|---|---|
| Surety company name | |
| Bond producer / agency | |
| Producer contact name, phone, email | |
| How long with this surety | |
| Single project bonding limit | $ |
| Aggregate bonding limit | $ |
| Currently available aggregate capacity | $ |
| Bonding capacity letter attached? (attach) | [ ] Yes [ ] No |
Has a surety ever paid a claim on your behalf, on a performance or a payment bond? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, explain — year, bond type, amount, and whether the surety was reimbursed:
______________________________________________________________________________
Have you ever been declined bonding, or had a bond program reduced or cancelled?
[ ] Yes [ ] No If yes, explain: ______________________________________________
Section 7 — Insurance
| Coverage | Carrier | Limits carried | Expiry date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial general liability | $ | ||
| Automobile liability | $ | ||
| Workers' compensation and employers' liability | $ | ||
| Umbrella / excess | $ | ||
| Professional liability, if carried | $ | ||
| Pollution liability, if carried | $ |
Insurance broker: ______________________________________________________________
Broker contact, phone, email: __________________________________________________
Sample certificate of insurance attached? (attach) [ ] Yes [ ] No
Experience modification rate (EMR)
| Policy year | EMR | Rating bureau / state |
|---|---|---|
If you are not experience-rated, say why: _____________________________________
Can you provide additional insured endorsements for ongoing operations and for products-completed operations, primary and non-contributory, and a waiver of subrogation? [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Need to check with broker
Section 8 — Safety
Written safety program? [ ] Yes [ ] No Attached? (attach) [ ] Yes [ ] No
Date last updated: _______________
| Year | OSHA 300 recordables | Lost-time cases | Fatalities | Total hours worked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Full-time safety personnel? [ ] Yes [ ] No How many? ______
Who is responsible for safety, and do they have another role? ___________________
Any OSHA citations in the last three years? [ ] Yes [ ] No
If yes, list date, classification, and how it was resolved:
______________________________________________________________________________
Substance abuse policy and testing program? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Type: [ ] Pre-employment [ ] Random [ ] Post-incident [ ] Reasonable suspicion
Do your foremen hold OSHA 30 and your field staff OSHA 10? [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Partially
Do you hold documented toolbox talks and keep attendance records? [ ] Yes [ ] No
Section 9 — Legal and claims
Answer each. "None" is an answer.
| Question | Yes | No | If yes, explain below |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanics liens filed against your work in the last three years | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Judgments outstanding against the company or any owner | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Litigation pending, as plaintiff or defendant | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Arbitration or mediation pending | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Bankruptcy filed by the company, ever | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Bankruptcy filed by any owner or officer, ever | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Federal, state or local tax liens, current or in the last three years | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Debarment or suspension from public work, ever | [ ] | [ ] | |
| License suspended, revoked or subject to disciplinary action | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Claim paid or pending on your general liability policy over $50,000 | [ ] | [ ] | |
| Unpaid payroll taxes or benefit fund contributions, current | [ ] | [ ] |
Explanations — reference the row, and give dates, amounts and current status:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Section 10 — References
Three general contractors or owners you have worked for
| Company | Contact name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Three major suppliers
| Company | Contact name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial and risk references
| Type | Company | Contact name | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | ||||
| Surety | ||||
| Insurance broker |
Section 11 — Certification and signature
The undersigned certifies that the information in this form and in any attachment is true and complete to the best of their knowledge, and that they are authorized to provide it on behalf of the company named in Section 1.
The undersigned authorizes the general contractor named above to verify any of this information, to contact the references listed in Section 10, and to contact the company's bank, surety and insurance broker for the purpose of confirming the information given.
The undersigned agrees to notify the general contractor in writing of any material change to the information in this form, including a change in ownership, license status, bonding capacity or insurance coverage.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Signature | |
| Printed name | |
| Title | |
| Date |
This form must be signed by an officer, owner, or an employee with written authority to bind the company. A signature from an estimator or a project manager is not sufficient.
Attachment checklist
- Financial statements, most recent fiscal year (audit, review or compilation)
- Interim financial statement, if the fiscal year end is more than six months old
- Bonding capacity letter from the surety
- Sample certificate of insurance
- Copy of contractor license(s)
- W-9
- Written safety program
- Certificate of good standing, if requested
Notes and common mistakes
Sending it and not reading it. The most common failure is a completed form that goes straight into a folder. If nobody scores it, you have imposed two hours of work on a sub and bought nothing. Score it with the risk scorecard the week it arrives.
Requiring the same depth from every sub. A $15,000 flooring scope and a $2M mechanical scope do not need the same file. Use a threshold, and use trade risk to move it.
Accepting "see attached" on the experience section. A capability brochure is not an answer. You need contract values and phone numbers, and a sub who will not give you those on their own reference projects is telling you something.
Not calling the references. Two calls take fifteen minutes and change your view of a sub more than any other part of this process. Ask the GC reference one specific question: would you award them the same scope again today.
Letting the file go stale. A prequalification from 2023 says nothing about a company in 2026. Set an expiry date on the file — twelve months is standard — and run annual requalification as a batch rather than a scramble.
Collecting personal identifiers because the template you copied had them. Read the callout at the top again. Every SSN you hold is a liability you chose to take on.
Related Resources
- Subcontractor Prequalification — pillar guide
- Subcontractor Risk Scorecard — score the file when it arrives
- Prequalification Workflow — who reviews and how to decide
- Conditional Approval Letter — when the answer is yes with controls
For the process around this form — who reviews it, what the tiers mean, and how to decide — see subcontractor prequalification and the prequalification workflow. If you are the subcontractor filling this in, read getting prequalified as a subcontractor first.