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Guide · Prequalification · 6-minute read

Subcontractor prequalification packet: what general contractors ask for, from six real forms

Before you can bid, a general contractor sends a prequalification form. The forms look different, but the safety part asks for the same handful of records almost every time: a written safety program or manual, three years of OSHA injury records, three years of EMR, an insurance certificate, and proof of training and safety meetings. We read six forms that general contractors and owners publish for subcontractors and set what they ask for side by side. Each one writes its own form and updates it, so read the one in front of you line by line.

By the 29Safety safety teamReviewed November 5, 202629 CFR 1904.1(a)(1), 1904.29(b)(10) and 1904.3229Safety is not affiliated with any company named on this page; their names are trademarks of their owners.

See exactly what you'd get

The JHA plus a toolbox talk record, an inspection and more, in one PDF: five documents for a jobsite crew, or three for a plant. No watermark.

Which pack

It opens right away too. We send the pack, one note two days later, and nothing else. Privacy.

Plans from $199 a month. No per-person fees. 14 days free.

Start your free trial

Rather have us write it? Two written programs ($295)

Need the whole packet? Bid and prequal packet ($795)

In this guideWhat six forms ask forWhen you don't have somethingHow to build the packet onceMake the numbers agreeAfter the packetQuestions we getSources

What six real forms ask for

The forms: McGough's sample prequalification questionnaire (May 2025), Torcon's 2025 subcontractor prequalification form, DPR's prequalification FAQ, GBC Construction's subcontractor safety questionnaire (updated October 2024), SOLV Energy's prequalification application (December 2023), and Howard University's subcontractor health and safety questionnaire, which reads like an owner's form. Links are in the sources at the bottom of this page.

ItemWho asksWhat they want
Written safety program or manualMcGough, Torcon, GBC, SOLV, HowardMcGough wants the safety manual as a compressed PDF. Torcon asks for copies of your written safety program, your hazard communication program and a site-specific safety manual. Howard asks for the table of contents of your written program.
OSHA 300 and 300AAll sixThree years. DPR counts the 300A among the minimum documents to submit; Torcon and GBC ask for the 300 logs; Howard treats a questionnaire without the 300 and 300A and an EMR letter as nonresponsive.
EMRAll sixThree years, on the carrier's letter or worksheet. Torcon prefers the interstate rate and accepts the state rate; Howard wants the interstate rate unless only an intrastate one exists; GBC asks for the rating sheet with the Risk Identification Number; SOLV asks for a letter of explanation and safety improvements at 1.25 or higher.
Rates and hoursMcGough, Torcon, GBC, HowardMcGough and Howard ask for rates, and each defines its own; Torcon asks for raw counts by 300-log column and man-hours; GBC asks for lost workday cases, recordable injuries, fatalities and hours.
Insurance certificateMcGough, DPR, SOLVMcGough wants the certificate with endorsements and a markup of any differences from its insurance requirements; DPR counts the certificate among the minimum documents; SOLV asks for evidence of insurance.
Safety meetings and inspectionsMcGough, Torcon, GBC, SOLVWhether you hold them and how often. Torcon also asks who runs them and whether management reviews the inspection forms.
TrainingTorcon, GBC, SOLV, HowardTraining programs and topics. Howard asks for training certificates; SOLV asks whether people are trained in first aid and CPR.
Drug and alcoholMcGough, SOLV, HowardA substance abuse policy (SOLV wants a copy) or a written drug and alcohol program.
CitationsMcGough, Torcon, GBC, SOLV, HowardOSHA citations, penalties or inspections in the last three years, with copies or an explanation.
Officer's signatureHowardAn officer of the company certifies the information is current and correct.

The rest of a general contractor's form is business: a W-9, bonding, financial statements, references. Those come from your accountant and your surety. The safety records come from you.

When you don't have something

The forms say what to do, and they agree: say so in writing.

  • No EMR. McGough says to enter 1 and attach a letter from your insurance company stating the years you did not qualify (mcgough.com). Highwire asks for the same kind of insurer letter (help.highwire.com). More in our guide to EMR for prequalification.
  • No 300A because of your size. DPR asks for your average number of employees and total hours worked for the last three years instead, and for a document explaining any required item you lack (dpr.com). Howard accepts other documentation with at least the same information as the 300 and 300A (ehs.howard.edu). More in the OSHA 300A for prequalification.
  • A high EMR. SOLV asks for a letter of explanation and the safety program improvements you made when the EMR is 1.25 or higher (solvenergy.com).
  • Citations. Attach the citation and how it was resolved; Howard asks for the disposition.

How to build the packet once

  1. A one-page summary. Legal name, address, safety contact, and a three-year table with hours, average employees, recordable cases, DART cases, fatalities, TRIR, DART rate and EMR.
  2. Three years of 300A summaries. Each one certified by a company executive (1904.32(b)(4)), and the 300 logs with names removed if a form asks for them (1904.29(b)(10)).
  3. The EMR letters. The same three years, or your insurer's letter for any year without one.
  4. Your current insurance certificate. Your agent writes it to the general contractor's requirements.
  5. Your safety manual. A table of contents, then each written program, dated and signed. If a form asks only for the table of contents, send only that.
  6. Training. A matrix of employees, topics, dates and next due dates, with the certificates behind it.
  7. The policies the form names. Substance abuse, subcontractor management, incident investigation.
  8. Frequencies. How often you hold toolbox talks and inspect, written the same way on the form and in the manual.
  9. Citations and explanations. Only if you have any.

Then send exactly what the form asks for, in the format it asks for. McGough wants the manual as a compressed PDF. A general contractor reading forty packets will not dig through a 300-page file for the one page it asked about.

Make the numbers agree

Reviewers compare. The hours on your 300A, the hours on the form and the hours behind your rates should be one number; OSHA's forms package says hours worked leave out vacation, sick leave, holidays and any other non-work time (OSHA forms package). The recordable count on the form should equal the 300A total. Forms define rates their own way, so follow the definition printed on each one and show the math. Our guides to the 300A, EMR and TRIR and DART go through each.

After the packet: the site-specific plan

Prequalification gets you on the bid list. Winning the job usually brings the next request: a site-specific safety plan before you mobilize. See our guide to the site-specific safety plan.

Rather have the 29Safety safety team write it? The Bid and prequal packet, $795:

  • Your company safety manual
  • Up to 8 written programs from your GC's list
  • A site-specific safety plan for one job
  • English and Spanish, as separate copies

Written from the list your general contractor or platform gives you, filled in with your company. What passes is still the reviewer's decision. See what's in the Bid and prequal packet.

The prequal packet, in one click, current every time

29Safety's construction edition builds the prequal packet a general contractor asks for: your written programs, training records, 300A summaries and insurance documents bundled into one PDF, in the order a prequal questionnaire asks for them. The programs are cited to the paragraph and filled in with your company; every TRIR and DART rate is printed with its formula and the counts behind it; employee names come off the 300 logs; and your carrier's EMR letters go in the same PDF. It cannot promise you'll be approved; that is the general contractor's call.

See it for constructionSee it for general industryTalk to the safety team

See exactly what you'd get

The JHA plus a toolbox talk record, an inspection and more, in one PDF: five documents for a jobsite crew, or three for a plant. No watermark.

Which pack

It opens right away too. We send the pack, one note two days later, and nothing else. Privacy.

Plans from $199 a month. No per-person fees. 14 days free.

Start your free trial

Rather have us write it? Two written programs ($295)

Need the whole packet? Bid and prequal packet ($795)

Tell us what you think, get 50% off a package

Questions we get

How many years of records do general contractors ask for?

Three, on every safety form we read: three years of OSHA 300 or 300A records and three years of EMR. Some forms name the years, such as 2022 to 2024 on McGough's sample.

We have 10 or fewer employees and don't keep an OSHA log. What do we send?

OSHA doesn't require the log from a company with 10 or fewer employees at all times during the last calendar year (1904.1(a)(1)), but general contractors ask for the numbers anyway. DPR asks for average employees and total hours for three years instead, and Howard accepts other documents with the same information. Keeping the log voluntarily is the simplest answer.

Can we send our whole safety manual?

Send what the form asks for. McGough asks for the manual as a compressed PDF; Howard asks only for the table of contents of your written program. A clear table of contents with dated programs behind it works for both.

Do we send our OSHA 300 log with names on it?

No. When you share the 300 log voluntarily with anyone other than the government, your employees and their representatives, 1904.29(b)(10) requires removing employee names and other identifying information, with narrow exceptions. The 300A summary has no names.

Will a packet from 29Safety get us approved?

No. Each general contractor decides who it prequalifies. 29Safety builds the packet from your records, in the order a prequal questionnaire asks for things; the decision is the general contractor's.

Not sure how this applies to your work? in the chat, or email safetyteam@29safety.com.

Sources

Checked November 5, 2026. Platforms, owners and general contractors set their own requirements and change them; the list in your account or on your form is the one that counts.

  1. Sample prequalification application questionnaire (May 2025), McGough
  2. Subcontractor prequalification form (2025), Torcon
  3. Self-service questionnaire FAQs, DPR Construction
  4. Subcontractor safety questionnaire (October 2024), GBC Construction
  5. Prequalification application (December 2023), SOLV Energy
  6. Subcontractor health and safety questionnaire, Howard University
  7. Completing the Injury & Illness Section, Highwire help center
  8. OSHA recordkeeping forms package (300, 300A, 301 and instructions), OSHA
  9. 29 CFR sections linked in the text: eCFR, the official text