When a general contractor (GC) awards framing work in Florida, they're making a risk decision. The framing sub who shows up on their critical path jobsite will either keep the schedule moving or create a cascade of delays that costs the GC money, credibility, and the client relationship.

GCs who've been burned by unreliable framing subs — and most experienced GCs in Florida have — prequalify hard. The mechanism for prequalification is the trade packet: a documentation package that a framing sub provides before bidding or before being awarded work.

A complete trade packet doesn't just make you look professional. It tells the GC exactly who you are before you set foot on their jobsite, and it reduces their administrative overhead in verifying your credentials independently. GCs award work to framing subs who make the prequalification process easy — not to the ones who make them chase documents.

Abstract construction plans, dark laptop, hardhat, and measuring tools on a preconstruction table
Editorial illustrationA complete trade packet begins at the bid table, where scope, credentials, capacity, and schedule commitments can be reviewed together.

What a Complete Framing Sub Trade Packet Includes

1. Florida Contractor License

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) issues contractor licenses for entities performing framing and general construction work. The relevant license types are:

Include in your trade packet:

A registered (not certified) license is county-specific and does not authorize statewide work. If you hold a registered license, your scope is limited to the county of registration. Make sure the GC knows this before they award you work in a county where you're not registered.

2. Certificate of Insurance

The certificate of insurance (COI) is the most commonly submitted document and the one most commonly misread. A COI for a commercial framing sub in Florida should show:

The GC should be named as additional insured on the GL policy. This is not the same as being listed on the COI. A separate additional insured endorsement (typically AI 20 10 or equivalent) must accompany the COI. Include this endorsement in your trade packet — don't wait for the GC to ask for it.

Workers' compensation must not exclude framing as a classification. A WC policy with a framing exclusion is worthless on a framing jobsite. Ask your broker to confirm the NCCI classification code on your WC policy includes wood frame construction (NCCI code 5645 is standard for residential framing; code 5403 covers commercial carpentry and framing).

3. OSHA 30 Certificates for All Supervisory Employees

Every foreman and superintendent on your framing crews should hold an OSHA 30 certificate issued by an OSHA-authorized trainer. Include copies of each certificate in your trade packet.

OSHA 30 certificates list:

Certificates issued before 2015 may not include all current training content. Many GCs now require refresher training or a current certificate from within the last five years — confirm whether the GC you're bidding has a currency requirement.

If your foreman holds OSHA 10 but not OSHA 30, that is a disqualifying gap for most commercial GC prequalification requirements. OSHA 10 is a 10-hour course; OSHA 30 is a 30-hour course covering a broader range of hazards and is the standard for supervisory-level personnel on commercial jobsites.

4. Project Reference List

Your reference list should include only GC references — the GC's project manager or superintendent who managed the project, not the building owner. Building owner references tell the GC nothing about your performance as a sub. GC references tell them everything.

Format your reference list to include:

Include a minimum of three references from the last 18 months. If your references are all from more than two years ago, the GC will draw their own conclusion — either you haven't worked consistently, or your recent performance wouldn't support a reference call.

5. Scope Capability Statement

A scope capability statement tells the GC what you can and can't do so there's no misalignment at bid time. Include:

6. Mobilization Capacity

The GC needs to know whether your crew capacity matches their project. Include:

GCs use mobilization capacity to decide whether to award a project to a single sub or split the scope between two subs for schedule security. A framing sub who is transparent about their capacity — and honest about their backlog — builds more trust than one who claims unlimited availability.

Blank credential folders, safety equipment, and an abstract tablet on a framed jobsite desk
Editorial illustrationBlank credential files and safety equipment illustrate the license, insurance, and training records that a GC must verify before award.

Red Flags That Disqualify a Framing Sub's Trade Packet

These disqualify immediately:

Blank certificate, qualification binder, hardhat, and metal framing samples on a review table
Editorial illustrationAn organized qualification package brings current documentation, references, scope capability, and mobilization information into one review.

JK's Trade Packet for GC Partners

JK Prestige's trade packet for GC partners who want to use JK's framing or drywall crews includes all six elements above: Florida CGC license documentation, COI with additional insured endorsement attached, OSHA 30 certificates for all supervisory employees, GC references with contact information and project details, a scope capability statement for framing and drywall, and current mobilization capacity.

Request JK's trade packet — all documentation is provided within 24 hours.

The same accountability standards that govern the JK Way as a GC apply when JK works as a framing or drywall sub for a GC partner. Principal-direct communication. Written scope before mobilization. No surprises.

Request our trade packet, licensing, insurance certs, and references, contact JK Prestige. Call (904) 944-0278. A principal answers.

Get a written estimate in 48 hours.

No call center. No coordinator. A JK principal reviews every inquiry and replies with a real number, not a range, not a follow-up form.

Request Free Estimate →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is having my name on a certificate of insurance enough to protect the GC I am bidding to?
No. Being listed on a COI is not the same as being named additional insured on the general liability policy, and a separate additional insured endorsement, typically AI 20 10 or equivalent, has to accompany the COI to actually extend that protection. Include the endorsement in your trade packet up front rather than waiting for the GC to ask for it.
Why would a GC reject my framing bid if my foreman only holds OSHA 10 instead of OSHA 30?
OSHA 10 is a 10 hour entry level course, while OSHA 30 is a 30 hour course covering a broader range of hazards and is the standard most commercial GCs require for supervisory level personnel on their jobsites. A foreman without current OSHA 30 is a disqualifying gap for most commercial prequalification, since it signals the crew's site leadership has not been trained to that supervisory standard.
What kind of references should a framing sub actually include in a trade packet?
Include only GC references, meaning the project manager or superintendent who managed the job, not the building owner, since owner references tell a hiring GC almost nothing about how you perform as a sub on their jobsite. Aim for a minimum of three references from the last 18 months, because references that are all older than two years will read as a sign your recent work does not hold up to a reference call.