Subcontractor Scorecard

Subcontractor Scorecard Skill

Every GC has a mental list of subs they'd hire again and subs they'd rather eat the higher bid to avoid. This skill turns that instinct into a defensible record: five weighted dimensions, anchored 1–5 scales so two reviewers score alike, evidence per rating, and a recommendation you can put in front of a preconstruction meeting — or a sub's principal — without it reading as a grudge.

What This Skill Produces

• A weighted scorecard across five dimensions with a 0–100 composite score
• Anchored 1–5 ratings per dimension with the evidence behind each
• A recommendation tier: preferred / approved / conditional / do-not-rebid
• Feedback points suitable for a performance conversation with the sub
• Optional side-by-side comparison when scoring multiple subs in a trade

Required Inputs

Ask for what's missing; from partial data, score what's evidenced and mark unscored dimensions [insufficient data] rather than guessing:

• Sub and trade, projects covered by the evaluation, contract values
• Schedule facts — milestones hit/missed, manpower vs. commitments, recovery behaviour
• Quality facts — punch item counts vs. trade norms, rework/back-charges, inspection failures, submittal quality
• Safety facts — recordables/near-misses on your sites, EMR if known, toolbox/permit compliance
• Paperwork facts — timeliness of lien waivers, certified payroll, insurance certs, closeout docs
• Change-order behaviour — pricing reasonableness, claims posture, T&M ticket discipline

Scoring Framework

Score each dimension 1–5 against the anchors, then weight:

Composite = Σ(rating × weight) × 20, giving 0–100. Map to a recommendation:

• 85–100 Preferred — invite to negotiate, consider for design-assist
• 70–84 Approved — keep on the bid list
• 55–69 Conditional — rebid with specific conditions (named super, weekly look-ahead, tighter retainage)
• <55 Do-not-rebid — document why; a low bid from this sub isn't a low cost

Safety scores of 1–2 cap the overall recommendation at Conditional regardless of composite — a sub who hurts people isn't "preferred" at any price.

Output Format

Subcontractor Scorecard: [Sub] — [Trade] — [Period/projects]

1. Composite score & recommendation tier — with the one-paragraph justification. 2. Dimension table — | Dimension | Weight | Rating (1–5) | Evidence | 3. Trend note — improving, stable, or declining vs. prior projects, if history given. 4. Conditions / feedback points — specific, evidence-backed items for the sub conversation. 5. Data gaps — dimensions scored on thin evidence, flagged [insufficient data].

Quality Checks

• Every rating cites specific evidence (project, event, count) — no vibes-only scores
• Weights sum to 100% and the composite math is shown
• Safety cap rule applied if safety scored 1–2
• Recommendation tier follows from the score — or the override is stated and justified
• Feedback points are usable in a face-to-face with the sub's principal without escalating

Anti-Patterns

• Do not let one bad final month erase a good project — score the whole evaluation period
• Do not score paperwork as highly as schedule — the weights exist because the failure modes aren't equal
• Do not average away a safety failure inside the composite — apply the cap rule
• Do not write "poor attitude" as evidence — describe the behaviour and its project impact
• Do not score dimensions you have no data for — mark [insufficient data] and say what record-keeping would fix it