Every subcontractor's insurance and licences, current on every job.
Builders and head contractors have to know each subcontractor on site is insured and licensed for the work. UpToDocs asks them for their certificates, reads the details, and follows up before anything runs out, so you're not hunting through emails on a Friday afternoon.
How it works
- Add who you work with. Type them in, upload a spreadsheet, or drop in the documents you already hold and UpToDocs sets each subcontractor up from those.
- They upload their own documents. Each subcontractor gets a private link by email, or by text when you send one. No account or app needed.
- The details are read for you. UpToDocs reads who each document is for, the issuer, the number and the expiry date, and shows it to you for a quick confirm.
- Reminders go out on their own. Each subcontractor is reminded 30, 14 and 7 days before a document expires. You hear about it when something actually lapses, plus a short summary every Monday.
What you can track
- Public liability. UpToDocs reads the cover amount, and anything below the minimum you set (say $20 million) is flagged.
- Workers compensation, or personal accident cover for sole traders who don't need workers comp in their state.
- Contract works insurance, when a job asks for it.
- Builder, electrical and plumbing licences, plus asbestos, traffic control and other state licences.
- High risk work licences for forklifts, scaffolding, rigging, cranes and EWPs over 11 metres.
- White card and working at heights.
- Safe work method statements (SWMS) for high risk construction work.
- Subcontractor's statements in NSW, with the period they cover.
- Anything else you ask for, as your own document type, with or without an expiry date.
Sign up from this page and these documents are ticked for you. Change them any time in Settings.
How it looks in practice
A builder running four jobs has 30 subcontractors on the books. Their certificates are spread across emails, a shared drive and a spreadsheet nobody has updated since winter.
They drop the whole folder of certificates into UpToDocs. It reads each one, works out whose it is, and builds the list. Two public liability certificates have already expired, and one shows $5 million against the builder's $20 million minimum. Those three subcontractors get a link to upload a current one. Everyone else gets a reminder 30, 14 and 7 days before their next expiry, and the builder hears about it only if something actually lapses.
Built for how you work
- Projects and sites, if you want them. Group subcontractors by job, ask a site for extra documents such as contract works, and see cover that runs out before the job ends. Leave it off if you run one job at a time.
- ABNs checked. Each ABN is checked on the government ABN Lookup when you add it and every 30 days after, so a cancelled ABN shows up before you pay an invoice. Paying someone who hasn't quoted a valid ABN can mean withholding tax at the top rate, so check with your accountant if one appears.
- Name checks. If the name or ABN on a certificate doesn't match the subcontractor, you're told.
- Free for your subcontractors. No account, app or fee. Anyone who works for several builders can log in free to see every request in one place.
- A report when you need one. Download a compliance report for a client, a principal contractor or an insurer.
Questions
Do my subcontractors have to pay or download an app?
No. Each one gets a private upload link by email, or by text when you send one. They take a photo or attach the PDF, and they're done.
Can it tell me who is cleared for a particular job?
Yes. Add a project, tick who is on it, and UpToDocs shows who has everything that job asks for, including cover that runs past the end date.
What if a certificate is read wrong?
Every document is shown for a quick check before it's saved, and you can correct any field.
Guides
- How to check a certificate of currency
- Public liability vs workers compensation for subcontractors
- Subcontractor compliance checklist
- Subcontractor ABNs and when to withhold tax
- Free subcontractor register template
Let UpToDocs do the following up
Start with a 14-day trial of everything, then keep going free for up to 5 people or businesses. No card needed.
This page is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. What you should ask for depends on your state, industry and contracts; check with your insurer, adviser or regulator.