Does completing the checklist prove a contractor is competent?

No. The checklist helps organise evidence areas for review. Competence and suitability remain project-specific and depend on the role, scope, risk and evidence available.

Is 10 years experience enough on its own?

No. Length of experience is only one factor. Relevant project history, management capability, skills, insurance, references and delivery capacity should also be considered.

Who can use this checklist?

Clients, architects, building surveyors, designers, project managers and other professionals can use it as a practical starting point for contractor due diligence.

Free Contractor Prequalification Checklist

Contractor prequalification

Review evidence area by area.

Tick an item when you have reviewed appropriate evidence. The tool runs in your browser and does not upload the checklist contents.

Evidence review progress

0/12

0% of evidence areas reviewed. This is not a competence score or appointment recommendation.

Business identity
Companies House status, legal/trading name and the entity that will enter the contract.Relevant project experience
Comparable project types, scale, complexity, occupied-site constraints and recent examples.Responsible management experience
Who will lead the work, their relevant experience and who has day-to-day authority.Skills and training
Role-specific qualifications, training, trade competence and continuing development where relevant.Health and safety capability
Suitable arrangements, supervision, RAMS approach and evidence appropriate to the project risk.Insurance
Current Public Liability, Employers’ Liability where applicable, Professional Indemnity where design responsibility applies, and any project-specific requirements.References
Recent references that are relevant to the proposed scope rather than generic testimonials.Financial and delivery capacity
Ability to resource the project, manage cash flow, procure long-lead items and sustain the proposed programme.Quality management
Inspection, snagging, records, testing, handover and defect-management approach.Subcontractor management
How specialist subcontractors are selected, coordinated, supervised and quality-controlled.Programme and logistics
Realistic duration, sequencing, access, neighbours, protection, welfare, deliveries and site constraints.Commercial clarity
Scope, exclusions, provisional sums, payment terms, variation process, VAT basis and proposed contract form.

Important: A completed checklist does not prove competence. The evidence required should be proportionate to the project, role, risks and scope, and professional advice may be appropriate.

For professionals

Use it alongside your procurement process.

The checklist can support early contractor screening before tender interview or appointment, but it does not replace role-specific professional judgment, statutory duties or project-specific checks.

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For project owners

Need suitable contractors to assess your project?

Post the opportunity free through BuildConnect and keep private contact details controlled until you approve an introduction.

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Share the resource

Send the checklist to a client or colleague.

Share it by LinkedIn, WhatsApp, email or direct link.

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Role-specific use

Use this tool differently depending on your role.

Client / project owner

Use it to make the next decision clearer.

Use the checklist to organise evidence before appointment rather than relying on reviews or price alone. It helps you ask consistent questions about identity, experience, insurance, references, capacity and commercial clarity.

Contractor

Use it to reduce commercial ambiguity.

Use it as a readiness checklist before clients or consultants ask. Keeping core company, insurance, experience and delivery evidence organised can make due diligence faster and more professional.

Professional

Use it to support structured advice and procurement.

Use it as a structured starting point for project-specific contractor screening while retaining your own judgement, statutory duties and role-specific competence assessment.

Join with confidence

You stay in control of what becomes public and when you connect.

BuildConnect separates useful marketplace information from private account details. The controls differ by role, so clients, contractors and professionals can participate without having to make everything public.

Clients

Client contact details remain private until the client chooses to connect with a contractor. Start with the project information rather than publishing personal contact details.

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Contractors

A public contractor profile is optional. If enabled after verification, selected company information can be published while private account details and insurance expiry dates remain private.

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Professionals

Professional public profiles are optional and require approval. Work email addresses are not displayed publicly, and marketing updates have a separate optional opt-in.

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Your data controls: registered users can download a machine-readable copy of their account data and submit an account/personal-data deletion request. Some records may still need to be retained where required by law.

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