When a prime contractor calls with work, the sub who can produce their paperwork in a day wins over the sub who needs three weeks. Everything on this list can be done before any contract exists — most of it in a single afternoon.
Documents to have on file
- W-9 — signed and current, with your exact legal business name and EIN. Primes need it before the first payment.
- Certificates of insurance — GL and workers' comp, with your agent briefed that additional-insured requests need same-week turnaround.
- E-Verify enrollment — free at e-verify.gov. Federal contracts flow down employment-verification requirements; being already enrolled removes a start-date blocker.
- References — 2–3 accounts with contact names and phone numbers, for work comparable to what you're quoting. Commercial references count.
- Capability one-pager — one page: services, service area, crew count, key equipment, years in business. It doesn't need design; it needs facts.
Know your numbers
- Your pricing basis — per square foot for janitorial, per acre or per cut for grounds, per pull for waste. Government scopes are specific; vague pricing reads as inexperience.
- Your real service radius — the distance at which a nightly or weekly route stops making money.
- Your capacity ceiling — how much new recurring work you can absorb without missing service on existing accounts.
What you do not need
You don't need SAM registration, a GSA schedule, certifications, or government experience to start subcontracting. You need to do excellent work, carry real insurance, and answer your phone. The rest is the prime's job.