Every service company that uses subs eventually has the same bad afternoon: a sub damages something at a customer's home, and the insurance certificate in the file expired four months ago. Nobody lied. The document was good on the day it was collected, and nobody looked again.
So this checklist has two parts. The first is what to collect before the first job. The second, which most lists skip, is when each item goes stale and needs a recheck.
Note. This is a practical checklist, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Requirements vary by state, trade and the work you send. Tax facts below were checked on IRS.gov in October 2026. Confirm your own obligations with a CPA, your insurance agent and your state licensing board.
Part 1: collect before the first job
Tax and identity
- [ ] Form W-9, signed, with legal name, business name if different, entity type and taxpayer identification number. The IRS describes the W-9 as the form a person uses to give their correct TIN to someone who must file an information return about payments to them (About Form W-9, current revision March 2024, checked October 2026).
- [ ] Business address for mailing the year-end 1099
- [ ] Payment details for how you will pay them (collected through your bank or accounting process, never by email)
Insurance
- [ ] Certificate of insurance (COI) for general liability, issued by the sub's agent or carrier, showing policy number, limits and effective and expiration dates
- [ ] Your business named as certificate holder, and as additional insured if your agreement requires it (ask for the endorsement, not just the box on the certificate)
- [ ] Workers' compensation certificate if the sub has employees, or the state's exemption document if they claim one. Each state runs its own program; the U.S. Department of Labor keeps a directory of state workers' compensation offices.
- [ ] Commercial auto certificate if they drive to your jobs in a work vehicle
General liability covers bodily injury and property damage to others arising from the business's negligence, per the Insurance Information Institute. That is the policy you most need to be current on the day of the job.
Licenses and credentials
- [ ] State or local trade license for each job type you will send, with license number and expiration date
- [ ] A screenshot or saved result from the state board's own lookup (for example, California's CSLB license check), not just a photo of the card
- [ ] Certifications your work requires (for example, refrigerant handling for HVAC work, manufacturer certifications for warranty installs)
- [ ] Business registration or local business license, where your city requires one
Agreement and safety
- [ ] Signed subcontractor agreement (see the subcontractor agreement checklist for the terms; have a lawyer review it)
- [ ] Background check results, if your commercial clients or your policy require them
- [ ] Emergency contact and the name of anyone else who will be on site
- [ ] Acknowledgment of your site rules: photos at completion, how to report damage, who talks to the customer about extra work
Part 2: the recheck calendar
Write each expiration date into one sheet, one row per sub. Sort by soonest date.
| Document | Goes stale when | Recheck |
|---|---|---|
| W-9 | Name, entity type or TIN changes | When they tell you, and once a year before 1099 season |
| General liability COI | Policy expiration date | 30 days before expiration; get the renewal certificate |
| Workers' comp COI or exemption | Policy expiration or exemption end date | 30 days before |
| Commercial auto COI | Policy expiration date | 30 days before |
| Trade license | Board's expiration date | 30 days before; rerun the board lookup |
| Certifications | Issuer's expiration, if any | 30 days before |
| Agreement | Its own end date, or when terms change | When pay terms or scope change |
The 30-day lead is not a rule. It is enough time to chase a renewal certificate without pulling a sub off jobs already booked.
The tax side, in two facts
Get the W-9 before you pay. If a payee does not give you a correct TIN, you may be required to start backup withholding at 24 percent of payments (IRS: Backup withholding, checked October 2026). Collecting the W-9 at onboarding avoids that conversation later.
The 1099-NEC threshold changed. For payments made after December 31, 2025, the IRS instructions say to file Form 1099-NEC for each person you paid at least $2,000 in nonemployee compensation during the year, up from $600, and the form is due by January 31 (Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC, checked October 2026). The threshold is indexed for inflation after 2026, so check the current instructions each year, and ask your CPA how it applies to you.
Whether someone is a contractor at all depends on the relationship, not the paperwork. The IRS weighs behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship (IRS guidance). Read the 1099 subcontractor definition and subcontract vs hire before you set one up.
How to adapt it
One-person contractors. Workers' comp may not apply if they have no employees, depending on your state. Keep their exemption document if your state issues one, and ask your own insurer what they need from you at audit time.
Commercial and property-management work. Clients often require higher liability limits, additional insured status and background checks. Match the checklist to your strictest client, or keep a second list per client.
Licensed trades. Add the license class per job type. A sub licensed for drain work may not be licensed for gas lines in your state.
Where it fits your setup: in CrewLink's CrewConnect, the sender can require license, insurance, certification or a background check on a job, and a person whose credential lapses before the job date is not offered that job. It is a scheduling check. You still collect and verify the documents. See subcontractor scheduling.
What to take away
- Collect the W-9, COI, workers' comp status, auto coverage and license before the first job.
- Verify licenses on the state board's site, and get insurance certificates from the agent, not the sub.
- Keep one sorted sheet of expiration dates and recheck 30 days ahead.
- For payments after 2025, the 1099-NEC threshold is $2,000 per the IRS; confirm details with a CPA.
Common questions
What documents do I need from a subcontractor?
At minimum: a signed W-9, a current certificate of liability insurance, workers' comp coverage or a state exemption if they have employees, commercial auto coverage if they drive for the work, the trade license for the work you send, and a signed agreement. Your clients, insurer or state may require more.
Is a certificate of insurance enough to prove coverage?
A certificate shows coverage as of the day it was issued. Policies can be cancelled or lapse afterwards. Ask for certificates directly from the sub's agent, note the expiration date, and if your agreement requires additional insured status, ask for the endorsement itself.
Do I still need a W-9 if I won't pay a sub $2,000 this year?
Collect it anyway. You do not know at the first job what the year's total will be, and without a correct TIN you may face backup withholding rules. Ask your CPA for your specific filing obligations.
How often should I recheck a sub's license and insurance?
Before each expiration date, and any time the sub tells you something changed. A monthly look at a sheet sorted by expiration date catches nearly everything before it matters.