Appointing a contractor is a transfer of risk. Their work happens in your building, around your occupiers, under your duty of care — and if it goes wrong, the consequences do not stay on their side of the invoice. Vetting is how facilities managers price that risk before committing to it.
The five layers of a proper vet
1. Insurance
Public liability cover at a level appropriate to the property and work, employer's liability where the contractor has staff, and professional indemnity where design or advice is involved. Check certificates directly — dates, insured entity name matching the business you are contracting with, and any exclusions relevant to the work.
2. Competence
Qualifications, scheme memberships and third-party certifications relevant to the trade — different disciplines have different recognised marks, and electrical work is a good example of how specific this gets. Then evidence: examples of comparable commercial work, not a portfolio of domestic jobs presented hopefully.
3. Health and safety
A written H&S policy proportionate to the business size, sample risk assessments and method statements for work like yours, and a sensible answer to how they manage subcontractors if they use them. For higher-risk work, look for evidence of training relevant to the specific hazards — working at height, hot works, confined spaces.
4. Business standing
Trading history, references from clients with comparable buildings, and financial stability proportionate to the contract — a business that fails mid-project leaves you with half-finished work and a re-procurement. Two reference calls asking 'would you use them again, and what went wrong?' outperform most paperwork.
5. Fit and capacity
The soft layer that predicts day-to-day reliability: do they answer communications promptly during the sales phase (it only gets worse after), is their stated coverage and capacity honest, and do their documentation habits match what your compliance records will need?
Proportionality
Vetting depth should match risk. A contractor replacing a door closer does not need the scrutiny of one maintaining your fire alarm — but the baseline of insurance, competence and references applies to everyone who works in the building. Write the tiers down so the judgement is a policy, not a mood.
Where the network helps
The vetting process is unavoidable, but the sourcing funnel that feeds it can be dramatically shortened. Regency Contractors Network reviews contractors before listing and presents their credentials, services and coverage in structured profiles — so facilities managers start from candidates that have already cleared a bar, then apply their own checks to the specific appointment. See how the network works for FM teams, or read about our approval standards.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does contractor vetting take?
- With a responsive contractor, the document and reference cycle typically takes days to a couple of weeks. The elapsed time is usually driven by chasing — which is itself useful data about the business.
- Does using a network remove the need to vet?
- No — it shortens the funnel. A reviewed network filters out obviously unsuitable businesses and organises credentials, but the appointing organisation should still confirm that specific credentials match the specific work being instructed.
