Checklist for Evaluating a Subcontractor Before Awarding Work

Choosing a subcontractor involves more than comparing quotes. Before awarding work, a construction company needs to check whether the company can carry out the planned scope, has the necessary resources, and can meet the project’s document coordination and operational requirements. A preliminary review also makes it possible to record in writing what is being contracted, how it will be measured, and who will resolve any issues.

The following checklist is intended for purchasing, contracting, and site coordination managers in Spain. It does not replace a legal review or make every item a uniform obligation: requirements may vary depending on the activity, the contract, the tender documents, and the applicable regulations.

1. Experience and technical capacity

• Has the company completed work comparable in type, complexity, and execution conditions?
• Can it clearly describe which parts it carried out on previous projects and provide verifiable references?
• Does its experience relate to completed work, or is it presented in sufficient detail to assess the scope actually carried out?
• Does it have personnel with the qualifications or professional authorisations required for the specific task?
• Can it handle the planned volume of work without relying on resources that have not been confirmed?

Experience should be assessed in relation to the awarded work. A list of projects alone may not clarify which work the company performed directly or which resources it made available. For public-sector contracts, the communication and justification of the subcontractor’s suitability must be reviewed in accordance with the Public Sector Contracts Law and the tender documents; the assessment of financial and technical capacity should not be treated as an identical, automatic requirement in every case.

2. Personnel, equipment, and availability

• Who will be the subcontractor’s site representative, and who will replace them if they are unavailable?
• What personnel, machinery, and other resources will be assigned to the work?
• Have the availability of those resources and their start dates been confirmed?
• If other companies or self-employed workers may be engaged, has this possibility been identified and checked to determine whether it is permitted?

It is important to distinguish between resources the company has genuinely committed and those it merely expects to obtain. The availability of personnel and equipment should be checked against the schedule and the project’s other requirements.

3. Prevention documentation and site-access requirements

Before work begins, check what documentation is required for the project and activity, and who is responsible for reviewing it. As applicable, this may include information on preventive arrangements, personnel training or qualifications, fitness to perform the tasks, work equipment, and coordination of business activities. Any professional authorisations required for the specific work must also be verified.

For construction projects, check whether the company is required to be registered in the Register of Accredited Companies (REA) and confirm the applicable status before engaging it. The need for and scope of each requirement must be determined in light of the activity, the company’s position in the contracting chain, and the rules in force; it is unwise to assume that the same document checklist applies to every supplier or engagement.

For public contracts, also check the subcontracting conditions set out in the tender documents and any communications the contractor must make to the contracting authority. Law 9/2017 establishes communication and suitability-justification requirements in the cases it regulates. Do not assume that express authorisation is always required, or that notification alone is always sufficient: this depends on the contract and the applicable conditions.

4. Scope, schedule, and coordination

• Does the contract clearly specify the work included and excluded?
• Have measurements, units, acceptance criteria, and deliverables been agreed?
• Does the schedule identify start dates, milestones, and the expected timeframe?
• Have dependencies on other trades, supplies, permits, or handovers of work areas been identified?
• Have the people responsible for coordinating changes, answering questions, and recording issues been designated?

An ambiguous scope makes both coordination and subsequent certification more difficult. Record agreements and the procedure for authorising changes in writing; informal instructions can lead to disagreements about what was requested and what must be paid for.

5. Budget and commercial terms

Before awarding the work, check that the offer makes clear what is being purchased and under what conditions:

• Price and measurements: units, quantities, prices, and assumptions used.
• Inclusions and exclusions: materials, transport, auxiliary equipment, waste removal, and any other relevant items.
• Certification and payments: required documentation, frequency, and approval process, in accordance with the contract.
• Changes and additional work: who may authorise them and how they will be priced before being carried out.
• Warranties and liabilities: agreed conditions and limits applicable to the contracted work.

Compare proposals on the basis of an equivalent scope. A total figure that is difficult to break down does not show whether two offers cover the same tasks or whether one relies on different assumptions.

6. Checks during execution

The evaluation does not end with the award. Establish reviews suited to the work to check progress, quality, outstanding documentation, issues, and costs against what was agreed. Record instructions and certifications, and validate any change before treating it as completed or including it in the measurement.

Final check before awarding the work

• Relevant experience and verified references.
• Personnel, equipment, and availability confirmed.
• Preventive, professional, and access requirements reviewed for the activity.
• Applicability of the REA checked where relevant.
• Scope, measurements, schedule, and responsible parties defined.
• Price, payments, changes, and warranties documented.
• Contract conditions and, where applicable, relevant tender documents and communications reviewed.
• Monitoring method during the project agreed.

This list is intended to support an orderly decision, not to serve as legal certification or a guarantee of performance. For each award, the company should adapt its checks to the work, the project, and the contractual and legal obligations that actually apply.