Raising a works order without checking
A leak on the third floor, a door entry fault, a blocked drain. The property manager raises a works order to the usual contractor and moves on. Nobody opens the contractor file to see whether their public liability insurance renewed last month, because there are twenty other things waiting.
Then a director asks for the approved contractor list, or an insurer asks after a claim, and it turns out half the certificates on file have expired. Someone spends a week emailing contractors for up-to-date copies.
Why the file keeps going out of date
Contractor documents are collected when the contractor is first approved and then left alone. Each document has its own expiry date, and those dates are written on PDFs rather than stored anywhere that can send a reminder.
Meanwhile the moment of risk, raising a works order, happens in a different place: your block management system or an email. Nothing connects the two, so the check depends entirely on memory.
The exposure you carry
We cannot tell you what your insurers or clients require; your own policies and advisers set that. What we can describe is the practical position: works carried out by contractors whose documents you cannot produce, uncomfortable conversations after an incident, and directors of resident management companies asking questions you would rather answer quickly.
Chasing documents in a batch also sours relationships with good contractors, who get several emails from different property managers asking for the same certificate.
How we fix the contractor file
We build a contractor register that keeps itself current and connects to the moment a job is raised.
- Contractor portal: each contractor has a simple upload page for insurance certificates, risk assessments, method statements and accreditations. No account setup beyond an emailed link.
- Date extraction: when a document is uploaded, a document model reads the policy type, cover and expiry date and proposes them for a person to confirm.
- Expiry chasing: contractors are emailed ahead of expiry with a link to upload the renewal, and chased again if nothing arrives. Your team sees who has not responded.
- Works order check: when a works order is raised, through your block management system or an email template, the register is checked and the property manager is warned if a document is missing or expired.
- Block requirements: you can record which documents your firm requires for which type of work, set by your own policy, so the checks match your rules.
- Audit list: an up-to-date approved contractor list, with document status, can be produced for directors or insurers at any time.
| Document | Captured from | Checked when |
|---|---|---|
| Public liability insurance | Uploaded certificate | Every works order and before expiry |
| Employers' liability | Uploaded certificate | Every works order and before expiry |
| Risk assessment and method statement | Uploaded file per job type | When required by your policy |
| Trade accreditations | Uploaded certificate or register lookup | Before expiry |
Life with a current contractor file
Property managers raise jobs as usual, and the only difference is a warning when something needs attention. Contractors get one reminder from one place instead of emails from everyone. Your compliance or operations lead can see the state of the whole list on one screen.
When a director or insurer asks, the list goes out the same day.
Is your contractor file like this?
- Contractor insurance certificates live in folders with no expiry reminders.
- Works are raised without anyone checking documents are current.
- Several property managers chase the same contractor for the same certificate.
- Producing an approved contractor list takes days.
- You have discovered expired documents only after something went wrong.