Contractors have long been integral to the construction industry, but in 2025, they represent a larger share of the active workforce than ever before. As the labor mix shifts, so does the responsibility for ensuring every person on-site is trained, insured, and fit to work safely. That responsibility increasingly falls on general contractors and owners, who face growing scrutiny from insurers, clients, and regulatory bodies alike. 

Today, contractor oversight is about building a system that can scale, adapt to varying scopes of work, and deliver real-time visibility into who’s qualified and who isn’t. 

WHAT’S DRIVING THE SHIFT 

Historically, contractor prequalification has meant collecting a few documents: a certificate of insurance, a safety manual, maybe a few lagging indicators. But the expectations have changed. Insurance carriers and clients want proof that contractors are competent, accountable, and equipped for the actual work they’ve been hired to do. 

That means qualification has to move beyond static forms and checklists. It must be dynamic, role-specific, and trackable across job sites. And for GCs juggling dozens of subcontractors per project, that’s not a small ask. 

WHY THE OLD WAY ISN’T ENOUGH 

For many GCs, qualification is still a fragmented process: documents scattered across emails, outdated spreadsheets, and last-minute scrambles when crews show up missing critical paperwork. This system creates risk, both operational and legal, and puts unnecessary strain on project schedules. 

In too many cases, the problem isn’t that qualification isn’t happening. It’s that it’s happening too late. And by the time someone flags an expired COI or incomplete training record, work has already started. 

A HYBRID MODEL THAT SCALES 

What we’re seeing now is the rise of a hybrid approach, one that combines upstream digital prequalification with boots-on-the-ground oversight. This model allows hiring clients to set clear, job-specific requirements ahead of time, whether by trade, scope, or risk level, and verify that contractors meet those standards before they ever step foot on-site. 

By front-loading the verification process, general contractors gain: 

  • a more efficient project start 
  • fewer delays at the gate 
  • better documentation for audit and insurance purposes 
  • reduced exposure to preventable incidents 

A digital system can consolidate document uploads, status tracking, and even site-specific training into one place, reducing the administrative burden on your internal team while giving contractors a clear process to follow. 

KEY FEATURES TO PRIORITIZE 

If you’re implementing or evaluating a qualification platform in 2025, look for systems that: 

  • allow customizable requirements by scope of work or risk category 
  • track status in real time and alert you to missing or expired documentation 
  • support site-specific training delivery and tracking 
  • provide audit-ready documentation of every contractor’s readiness to work 

IMPLEMENTATION TIPS

Rolling out a contractor safety system doesn’t have to be disruptive. Start small with a pilot project, refine your workflows, and scale from there. Engage your procurement, legal, and field teams early so that the system fits your business, not the other way around. 

Most importantly, communicate the “why” to your subcontractors. When they understand that qualification is about enabling work, not delaying it, adoption improves, and friction drops. 

Contractor qualification is a critical control in any general contractor’s risk management playbook. In 2025, the most successful firms will be those that adopt a proactive, system-based approach. When qualification happens early, systematically, and with the right tools, the result is safer job sites, stronger compliance, and fewer surprises along the way.

about the author

Colton McKinney is president of Pearson Safety Solutions where he leads company operations and partners directly with Fortune 500 clients to implement tailored safety programs. He began his safety career by founding Compliance Management in 2014, which later merged with PSS to become its digital division, LinkSuite. For more, visit www.pearsonsafety.com.