Every general contractor has had a version of this conversation: a sub shows up Monday to start framing, runs a saw blade through his forearm by 10 a.m., and the ER asks who's billing — and that's when you find out his workers' comp policy expired six weeks ago and nobody caught it.
That moment is when "we'll get the COI later" stops being a paperwork issue and starts being a finance issue. If the sub is uninsured and gets hurt on your job, your general liability carrier will look very hard at whether you were operating as the de facto employer. Your workers' comp premium audit at year-end will look even harder. And if the property owner finds out a sub on their project was working without coverage, your contract may say you owe them anything that flows from it.
Tracking subcontractor compliance is not interesting work. It is the kind of work that, when done well, prevents a five-figure problem you'll never see and earns you no credit for it. Which is exactly why so many GCs let it slide until the day they can't.
The Six Things Every GC Needs to Track Per Sub
If you're running more than two or three subs at a time, a sticky note on the truck dashboard is not a system. At minimum, you need a record per subcontractor of:
| Item | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| General Liability COI | Protects you when the sub's work causes property damage or third-party injury. You should be named as an additional insured on the policy. |
| Workers' Comp COI | Required in almost every state when the sub has employees. If they're a one-person LLC, a workers' comp waiver or exemption certificate substitutes. |
| Auto Liability COI | Covers the sub's vehicle in case of an accident on the way to or from your site — or worse, on the site. |
| State Contractor License | For trades that require it (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, GC). Verify the number against the state licensing board, not just the card the sub hands you. |
| Safety Certifications | OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 for the trade, plus any project-specific requirements (fall protection, confined space, etc.). |
| W-9 on File | Required before you pay them. If you're issuing a 1099 at year-end, you need a current W-9 and a TIN you can match against the IRS database. |
That's per sub. Multiply by the dozen or so subs a typical residential GC runs across a year and you have anywhere from 60 to 100 documents with their own expiration dates and renewal cycles to manage.
What a Working Compliance Dashboard Looks Like
A practical compliance system collapses all of that into a single view where you can see, in five seconds, whether anyone on your active job list is out of date on anything. Something close to this:
| Subcontractor | GL | WC | Auto | License | OSHA | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Framing LLC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Compliant |
| Bluepoint Electric | ✓ | ! | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | WC exp 18 days |
| Vega Plumbing & Heating | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | WC LAPSED |
| Cedar Roofing Co. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Compliant |
| Northbrook HVAC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Compliant |
The point of a view like this isn't fancy software. It's that at a glance you can see Vega Plumbing's workers' comp is lapsed (red) and Bluepoint Electric's expires in 18 days (yellow), and the rest of your active jobs are clean (green). One pass, one minute.
Why Most GCs Fail at This
It isn't that they don't care. It's that the systems they're using don't fit the problem.
- The folder method. COIs live in a Dropbox or a manila folder. You can find them, but nothing tells you when one is about to expire. You only notice when the carrier sends a renewal notice to the sub — and that notice doesn't come to you.
- The "I'll ask when I need it" method. You request a fresh COI when you start a new job with a sub. Anything between projects is invisible. If a sub's coverage lapses for three months between your jobs, you have no record of it — but their carrier and the state do.
- The email-thread method. COIs come in as attachments to emails, mixed with quotes, change orders, and small talk. Six months later, finding a specific COI means scrolling through a year of email threads.
- The home-grown spreadsheet that nobody updates. You started one in January, kept it current for two months, then a busy spring hit and it ossified. Now the data on it is worse than no data because you trust it without checking.
The fix is not "try harder." The fix is a structure that does the remembering for you — a single sheet with the expiration date for every coverage item per sub, a status formula that flags anything within 30 days of expiration, and a monthly review built into the workflow whether you feel like it or not.
Get the Sub Compliance Tracker
A single spreadsheet covering every subcontractor across every active job. Tracks general liability, workers' comp, auto, license, OSHA, and W-9. Automated 30-day expiration alerts, color-coded status, and a monthly review checklist. Instant download.
Get the Tracker — $37The Monthly Compliance Review
The tracker is the artifact. The review is the habit. Once a month — same date every month, put it on your calendar — you sit down for 20 minutes and do the following:
- Pull the dashboard. Sort by status. Anything not green gets handled today.
- For yellow rows (expiring within 30 days), email the sub a request for the renewed certificate. Most carriers issue renewals 15–30 days before the policy expires.
- For red rows (lapsed), stop work or stop new work until coverage is reinstated. Document the conversation in writing.
- Spot-check one or two compliant rows. Pull up the state contractor licensing board and confirm the license number is still active. License revocations don't email you.
- Update job ledger. If you have jobs starting this month with new subs, add them to the tracker before they show up to site.
Twenty minutes a month. That's the entire cost of operating a system that may save you from the bad day.
What's Included in the $37 Download
- Universal Subcontractor Compliance Tracker (.xlsx) — works in Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice
- One row per subcontractor with six tracked compliance categories
- Color-coded status formulas (green / yellow / red) based on expiration dates you enter
- Built-in 30-day expiration alert column
- Monthly review checklist tab
- COI request email template you can copy-paste when chasing renewals
- Works for any trade — GC, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, framing, concrete, painting, landscape
- Instant download — satisfaction guaranteed
Stop Chasing COIs by Email
Set up the tracker once, run a 20-minute review each month, and stop discovering coverage lapses on the day they become your problem. One file, one habit, every active job covered.
Download Now — $37Frequently Asked Questions
Does this replace contractor management software like Procore or Buildertrend?
No. Procore, Buildertrend, and similar platforms include compliance modules and are appropriate for larger GCs running tens of millions in revenue and multiple project managers. This tracker is built for one-truck and small-crew GCs who run 5–30 subs at a time and want a working system without a four-figure annual subscription.
Can I use this in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the .xlsx to Google Drive and open with Google Sheets. All formulas and conditional formatting carry over.
What about a subcontractor agreement — is that included?
The tracker handles the post-signing compliance side. For the agreement itself plus a change order form and 10 email/SMS templates, the Contractor Business Bundle covers all of it at $37.
Do I really need a COI from a one-person LLC?
Yes — or, if your state allows it, a workers' comp exemption certificate. Without one of the two, your workers' comp carrier may classify the sub as your employee at year-end audit, and you'll owe premium on every dollar you paid them. The math gets ugly fast.
How often do COIs actually lapse?
More often than most GCs realize. Workers' comp policies in particular get cancelled mid-term for non-payment more frequently than any other coverage. A monthly review catches this. An annual review does not.
Important Notes
This product is a tracking tool, not insurance, legal, or compliance advice.
The Sub Compliance Tracker is a spreadsheet tool designed to help contractors organize subcontractor documentation. It does not constitute insurance advice, legal advice, or any form of regulatory certification. LaunchLocal is not an insurance broker, law firm, or licensing authority.
No warranty of completeness. Specific insurance requirements, license requirements, and safety certifications vary by state, county, project type, owner contract terms, and trade. The tracked categories represent a common baseline for residential and light-commercial GC work. Users are responsible for confirming additional requirements that apply to their jurisdiction and contracts.
User responsibility. The purchaser is responsible for verifying every subcontractor's coverage directly with the issuing carrier or licensing board, not relying solely on the documents in the tracker. LaunchLocal is not liable for any claim, premium audit assessment, contract dispute, or regulatory action that arises from the use or misuse of this tool.
Work with qualified professionals. For specific guidance on insurance requirements, contract language, or licensing in your jurisdiction, consult a licensed insurance broker, construction attorney, or your state contractor licensing board.
Published by LaunchLocal. For questions about this product, contact hello@launchlocal.shop.