Almost one in four contractors report starting work before compliance checks have been completed, according to new research from SafeContractor.
The “Control or Assumption? The State of Contractor Management in 2026” report surveyed 200 hiring clients and 300 contractors across social housing, facilities and property management, manufacturing, transport and logistics.
The research examined how organisations manage contractor compliance and competence amid requirements including the Building Safety Act 2022 and Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015.
Awareness does not guarantee verification
SafeContractor found that 96% of hiring clients said they understood their organisation’s statutory obligations, while 92% of contractors reported understanding their own duties.
However, 23% of contractors said they had started work before compliance checks were complete.
While 65% of hiring clients and 62% of contractors said checks take place before work starts, only 14% of hiring clients reported fully verifying every contractor they engage.
Dale Jones, Technical Director at SafeContractor, said, “Allowing contractors to begin work before compliance and competence checks are complete creates a preventable gap in assurance. Without completing verification, organisations cannot be confident that the appropriate checks and controls are in place before work begins.
“Pre-qualification processes must be considered as a condition of starting work and completed before a contractor steps onsite. It should not be completed retrospectively – if checks are delayed, inconsistent or in the worst case, not completed, organisations expose their workers, site users and business to avoidable safety, legal and financial risks.”
Ongoing monitoring varies
The research also identified differences in how contractors are monitored after their initial appointment.
Some 85% of hiring clients and 77% of contractors said reassessment takes place regularly or before a new project.
However, the findings indicate that monitoring is not always consistently maintained throughout project or contract delivery.
Compliance issues were reported as occurring often or very often by 44% of hiring clients and 47% of contractors.
Causes of compliance problems
Among hiring clients, 31% identified reliance on documentation rather than site verification as the main cause of compliance issues.
Limited visibility of subcontractors and weak supervision were each identified by 29%.
Contractors reported different challenges. Unclear or inconsistent client requirements and conflicting standards were each cited by 34%, followed by tight programmes at 32% and regulatory misunderstanding at 29%.
Hiring clients also identified potential consequences of non compliance. Project delays were cited by 49%, safety incidents by 42%, reputational damage by 40%, legal or regulatory penalties by 36% and cost overruns by 35%.
Improving contractor oversight
When asked how compliance could be strengthened, 39% of hiring clients identified improved subcontractor visibility.
Ongoing monitoring, additional time and resources, and better understanding of legal duties were each selected by 36%.
Among contractors, 42% said standardised client requirements could improve compliance and engagement. Better explanation of legal responsibilities was selected by 36%, while 34% identified earlier engagement before work starts.
Independent verification also featured in the findings. SafeContractor reported that 35% of hiring clients use independent schemes to verify contractor compliance, while 52% combine such schemes with internal checks.
Dale Jones added: “It’s clear that organisations and contractors understand what compliance requires but their challenge is ensuring that requirements are consistently communicated, verified and applied before work begins, and monitored regularly while work is ongoing.
“Independent assessment and verification schemes can play a crucial role in supporting an organisation’s internal pre-qualification process to create a consistent baseline across complex supply chains and help standardise contractor compliance.”
