Onboard a new sub with one link: agreement, W-9, insurance, safety
A new sub can't mobilize until you have four things: a signed subcontract, a W-9, proof of insurance and their sign-off on your site rules. Sent as four emails, one always goes missing until the day they show up on site. Combine them into one envelope and the sub does it all in one sitting, from a link on their phone.
Updated November 9, 2026 · 3 min read
On this page
What goes in the packet
| Piece | How you build it | What the sub does |
|---|---|---|
| Subcontract | Your own agreement, or the library's subcontractor agreement | Fills in their license number, initials the key clauses, signs |
| W-9 | The current form from irs.gov, uploaded as a template; its fillable fields come in with it | Fills in name, tax classification and taxpayer ID, signs the certification |
| Insurance | A one-page acknowledgment with an Attachment field for the certificate | Uploads the certificate of insurance their agent issued, enters policy dates |
| Site rules | Your safety and site rules, one checkbox per rule | Ticks each rule and signs |
Add a fifth piece if you use one: a direct deposit form, a drug-free workplace policy, or a background check authorization for crews entering occupied homes.
Build it once
- 1
Use the same role names everywhere
Call the signer Subcontractor in all four templates, and yourself Contractor. When you pick several templates for one envelope, roles with the same name merge, so the sub is one signer across every document and you countersign all of it in one turn at the end.
- 2
Put the upload next to the request
On the insurance page, drag an Attachment field beside the line that asks for the certificate. Allow PDFs and photos, set Most files to cover general liability, auto and workers' comp, and leave it required.
- 3
Ask for dates as dates
A Date field labeled General liability expires, with Earliest date set to Today, stops anyone entering a policy that has already lapsed.
- 4
Put the details you'll look up on the first template
A combined envelope is filed under the first template you pick, and that template's labeled fields are the columns in its Responses table. If you want license numbers and policy dates in one sortable table, place those fields on the subcontract and pick it first.
Send it to a new sub
- 1
Pick the templates in order
In a new envelope, choose the subcontract, then the W-9, insurance and site rules. The number on each card shows the order they'll appear in.
- 2
Fill in the job
Scope, price, start date and retainage go in your text boxes, so they print as fixed terms the sub reads but can't change.
- 3
Protect the W-9
It carries a Social Security number or EIN. In Message & settings, give the sub an Emailed code, so the packet only opens for someone who can read that inbox.
- 4
Set a sign-by date before mobilization
Reminders go out on your schedule until they finish, and as the date nears they switch to due tomorrow and due today. Nobody has to remember to chase.
When it comes back
- One signed PDF holds the subcontract, the W-9, the acknowledgment and the rules, with the uploaded certificates added after them.
- The envelope page lists each uploaded file with its own download button, so you can forward the certificate to your insurer or auditor without the rest of the packet.
- The certificate of completion lists every file the sub uploaded with its SHA-256 fingerprint, and records when they opened, agreed and signed.
- Contacts picks up the sub's name and email when you send, and on paid plans their phone and company from the fields they fill in.
Next season, the same sub needs a new subcontract and a fresh insurance certificate, not a new W-9 unless something changed. Keep the W-9 as its own template so you can leave it out of the repeat packet.
What SignMaster doesn't do
- It doesn't check a taxpayer ID with the IRS or file 1099s. Your accounting system or tax preparer does that.
- It doesn't verify insurance or warn you before a policy expires. See collecting certificates of insurance for how to keep the dates in view.
- It doesn't decide whether someone is a subcontractor or an employee. That's a tax and labor law question for your advisor.
Questions? Answers.
Can the sub sign everything in one go?
Yes. The merged Subcontractor role fills in and signs every document from the same link, in the order you picked them, without opening four emails.
Can I reuse the packet for every new sub?
Yes. The four templates stay in your workspace. Each time, pick them in the same order, fill in the job and the sub's name and email, and send.
Can the sub upload a photo of their insurance certificate?
Yes, if the field allows photos. Each file can be up to 10 MB, and SignMaster checks what the file really is, not just its name. A PDF straight from their agent is easier to read.
Does the sub need a SignMaster account?
No. They open the link from their email on any phone or computer. To send the W-9 on its own instead, see how to collect a W-9 from a subcontractor.