AI prompt: Builder first-contact email to engage a new subcontractor
You've found a subcontractor you want to engage on a project. You need a first-contact email that gets the paperwork in motion — licence, insurance certificate, payment terms — before they set foot on site, without making it feel like an interrogation.
The prompt
You are the project manager at [business name], a licensed building company based in [city]. Write an introductory email to engage a [sub-trade — e.g. licensed plasterer] as a subcontractor on [project type — e.g. a 4-bedroom residential new build] in [suburb]. The email should: (1) Briefly describe the project, the expected start date, and the approximate duration of the sub's scope (2) State what you need from them before they start: current contractor licence, public liability insurance certificate of currency (minimum $[amount]M), and a signed subcontractor agreement (3) Outline your payment terms: [e.g. progress claims assessed monthly / 14-day payment from invoice] (4) Confirm the next step — ask them to send their licence and insurance cert within the week so you can issue a subcontractor agreement (5) Keep a friendly but businesslike tone. Under 200 words.
What you’ll get back
A 170–200 word first-contact email that puts licensing, insurance, and payment terms on the table before any work is agreed, reducing disputes later.
Tips for this one
- Ask for the certificate of insurance upfront, not after the quote is accepted — subcontractors who won't provide it aren't worth engaging.
- Specify your minimum public liability cover amount in the email — $10M is standard for residential builds in most Australian states.
- State payment terms in the first email, not the subcontractor agreement. Mismatched expectations on payment are the leading cause of sub disputes on residential sites.
- Keep a project folder with each sub's current licence and insurance cert. VCAT and NCAT disputes are expensive without paperwork — courts expect builders to hold these.
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