Can this subcontract be e-signed?

Yes. Under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws, most commercial subcontracts may be executed electronically if parties consent and the record is retained.

Is notarization required?

Not generally required for ordinary subcontracts, but certain state filings or specific clause types may require notarization or witnesses; verify state law when necessary.

What authentication level is recommended?

Use email + SMS code for routine signings; require stronger authentication (KBA or ID verification) when contract value or risk is high.

How do I handle change orders?

Require written, signed change orders referencing the original subcontract, specifying scope, price, and schedule adjustments before work continues.

Who can sign on behalf of a company?

An officer or delegated signatory with authority to bind the entity should sign; attach an authorizing resolution if necessary to verify authority.

How long should I retain signed subcontracts?

Retain originals for contract term plus at least 3 years; follow IRS, HIPAA, and industry-specific retention rules as applicable.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Project Management
Project Management Subcontract

Project Management Subcontract

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUBCONTRACT

Project Identification

Project Title:

Project ID: Client:

Client Address Service Provider (Subcontractor) Provider Address Project Manager (Client) Project Manager (Provider)

Recitals

This Subcontract is made between Client: and Service Provider: for the purpose of providing project management services as set forth below.

Scope of Work

Primary Scope (describe services to be performed) Out-of-Scope Items (explicit exclusions)

Deliverables and Acceptance Criteria

Deliverable 1 Title:

Deliverable 1 Description Acceptance Criteria for Deliverable 1

Additional deliverables may be added by written change order executed in accordance with the Change Order Process below.

Timeline and Milestones

Contractual Start Date Contractual End Date Milestone 1 Milestone 2

Budget and Payment

Total Contract Price Payment Schedule

Invoices shall be submitted to Client and are due within days of receipt unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Change Order Process

All changes to the Scope of Work, deliverables, schedule, or price shall be made only by written Change Order signed by authorized representatives of both parties. Change Orders must describe the change, the adjustment to price, and the schedule impact.

Change Order Approval Authority (Client) Change Order Approval Authority (Provider)

Confidentiality

Each party shall keep confidential all proprietary information disclosed in connection with this Subcontract and shall not disclose such information except to employees and subcontractors who have a need to know and are bound by confidentiality obligations no less protective than those herein. Confidential information does not include information that is publicly available other than through breach of this Subcontract, or information independently developed without reference to the other party's confidential materials.

Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise agreed in a written exhibit, work product developed by the Provider specifically for the Client under this Subcontract shall be owned by the Client upon full payment. Provider retains ownership of its pre-existing tools, methodologies, and know-how. Provider grants Client a non-exclusive license to use Provider deliverables for Client's internal business purposes.

Insurance, Indemnity, and Limitation of Liability

Provider shall maintain commercial general liability and professional liability insurance in amounts customary for the industry. Provider shall indemnify and hold Client harmless from third-party claims arising from Provider's gross negligence or willful misconduct. Except for indemnity obligations and breaches of confidentiality, neither party's aggregate liability under this Subcontract shall exceed the total fees paid to Provider under this Subcontract.

Termination

This Subcontract may be terminated by either party for material breach if the breaching party fails to cure within days after written notice. Client may terminate for convenience upon days' prior written notice, subject to payment for work performed and reasonable wind-down costs.

Force Majeure

Neither party shall be liable for delays or failures to perform to the extent caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, acts of government, strikes, or pandemics. The affected party shall promptly notify the other and use commercially reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact.

Notices

Notice Address for Client Notice Address for Provider

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

This Subcontract shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of without regard to conflict of law principles. The parties shall attempt in good faith to resolve disputes through negotiation. If unresolved, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration in accordance with the parties' agreement to arbitrate.

Miscellaneous

This Subcontract, together with executed Change Orders and valid exhibits, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter and supersedes prior agreements. Amendments must be in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

Representations and Warranties

Each party represents and warrants that it has the full right and authority to enter into this Subcontract and that the execution and performance will not violate any agreement or law. Provider warrants that services will be performed in a professional manner consistent with industry standards.

Client:

By:

Date:

Service Provider:

By:

Date:

What a Project Management Subcontract Is

A Project Management Subcontract is a written agreement in which a principal contractor (prime) delegates specific project management duties, deliverables, and responsibilities to a subcontractor for a defined scope and period. It typically outlines scope of work, schedule, payment terms, insurance, change-order procedures, dispute resolution, and termination rights. The subcontract converts negotiated commercial terms into enforceable obligations and assigns operational tasks such as coordination, reporting, procurement oversight, and safety management to the subcontracted party.

Why use a Project Management Subcontract

A clear subcontract allocates risk, clarifies responsibilities, and reduces disputes by documenting scope, milestones, and payment triggers. It preserves the prime contractor’s control over project outcomes while giving the subcontractor defined authorities and limits. Well-drafted subcontracts support timely invoicing, compliance with insurance and lien waiver requirements, and smoother integration with project controls and procurement systems.

Who typically completes and signs this subcontract

Common users include prime contractors, subcontracting project managers, procurement leads, and in-house legal or contracts teams who need to formalize delegated project responsibilities.

Prime Contractor Project Manager — prepares scope, milestones, and acceptance criteria and ensures prime-level obligations are protected.
Subcontractor Project Lead — confirms capacity, staffing, and timeline commitments; accepts delegated responsibilities and indemnity terms.
Contracts or Legal Team — reviews indemnities, insurance, payment security, and any statutory compliance items before execution.

Each signer should be authorized to bind their organization and must confirm insurance, compliance requirements, and delegated authorities before execution.

Step-by-step: completing the Project Management Subcontract

Follow these sequential steps to prepare, review, and execute the subcontract with minimal friction.

01

Draft: Assemble scope, schedule, and payment terms into one document.
02

Review: Have legal and risk teams verify indemnities, insurance, and compliance.
03

Sign: Collect signatures from authorized representatives and notarize if required.
04

Distribute: Send fully executed copies to finance, project control, and contract repositories.

Core elements to include in a professional subcontract

A complete Project Management Subcontract balances operational detail with clear legal protections. Include clauses that protect schedule, quality, payment, and compliance while enabling project execution.

Scope Definition

Detailed deliverables, milestones, acceptance criteria, and any exhibits that map tasks to responsible parties to prevent scope creep and disputes.

Schedule & Milestones

Firm dates for start, interim milestones, and completion, with liquidated damages or remedies for missed critical milestones if applicable.

Payment Structure

Fee schedule, invoicing frequency, retainage, holdbacks, and conditions for release of payment including required documentation.

Insurance & Indemnity

Minimum insurance limits, additional insured language, and indemnity scope allocating liability for third-party claims and losses.

Change Orders

A controlled process for approving scope or pricing changes, including documentation, time frames, and pricing adjustments.

Termination & Remedies

Grounds for termination, cure periods, obligations on closeout, and dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation or arbitration.

Security and compliance items to verify

Encryption: TLS 1.2/1.3

Data at Rest: AES-256

Certifications: SOC 2 Type II

Regulatory Support: ESIGN / UETA

Healthcare Compliance: HIPAA (BAA required)

Audit Trail: Detailed signing history

Key timeline items and typical deadlines

Track these recurring deadlines to keep project controls aligned and payments timely.

Signature Deadline:

Return executed subcontract before the agreed start date

Invoice Submission:

Submit invoices per payment schedule, typically monthly or upon milestone completion

Change Order Response:

Respond to change requests within specified cure period, commonly 5–10 business days

Insurance Certificates:

Provide before mobilization and update before expiration

Final Closeout:

Submit final deliverables and releases within 30–60 days after completion

Milestones: from agreement to project closeout

Sequential milestones show the lifecycle from contract formation through handover and final payment.

01

Agreement Execution

Parties sign and the subcontract becomes effective; triggers mobilization.

02

Mobilization & Kickoff

Staffing, onboarding, and initial reporting commence per schedule.

03

Ongoing Performance

Deliverables, inspections, and progress reporting occur against milestones.

04

Closeout & Final Billing

Final deliverables accepted, retainage released, and records archived.

Where to send or file the executed subcontract

Route executed copies to the right teams to enable payment, compliance, and project control.

Finance / Accounts Payable: Receive original invoice and executed subcontract for payment processing.
Project Controls: Store milestones, schedules, and change-orders for progress tracking.
Contracts Repository: Archive signed agreement for legal and audit reference.
Insurance & Risk: Confirm certificates and endorsements are on file before mobilization.

How to set up an online signing workflow for this subcontract

Configure the signing workflow to enforce order, authentication, and retention of executed copies.

Field	Configuration
Signature Authentication	Email + SMS code or stronger KBA as required
Signing Order	Sequential or parallel per approval roles
Conditional Fields	Expose fields only when specific options selected
Retention Settings	Auto-archive signed PDFs to contract repository

Distribution and integration options for executed documents

Ensure integrations are configured to send executed copies, update contract metadata, and trigger downstream approvals without manual intervention.

CRM Integration: Connects to Salesforce
ERP Integration: Supports NetSuite and Dynamics
Cloud Storage: Exports to Box, Google Drive

eSignature vendor comparison for signing Project Management Subcontracts

Compare basic pricing and core constraints across vendors when selecting an eSignature solution for subcontract workflows. No data date is shown here.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day trial	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes (Business Premium)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies	Varies	Varies

Real-world examples of Project Management Subcontracts in use

These concise examples show how organizations use subcontracts to streamline execution and compliance.

Optica Ventures (COO)

Optica centralized subcontract signatures for field teams to close approvals remotely.

Mobile signatures on templates reduced turnaround time.
"The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers."

Martin Properties (Founder)

A property manager standardized subcontract templates across regions to control liability exposure.

Templates enforced insurance and indemnity clauses.
"I can process and execute all of these documents online with 100% compliance and built-in security."

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing a subcontract

Unclear scope or deliverable overlap leads to disputes and rework; define tasks and measurable acceptance criteria.
Mismatched party names or missing corporate authority can delay payment or render the contract unenforceable.
Failure to align insurance and indemnity with prime contract requirements can create uncovered liabilities.
Using informal change-order processes allows scope creep; require written, signed change orders with pricing.

Penalties and legal risks from incorrect subcontracts

Breach Damages: Contract damages and litigation risk

Payment Withhold: Delayed or withheld payments

Lien Exposure: Mechanic's lien claims possible

Insurance Gaps: Uninsured losses and indemnity disputes

Regulatory Fines: HIPAA or state privacy penalties

Tax Penalties: Incorrect reporting may trigger IRC §6721

Frequently asked questions about Project Management Subcontracts

Answers to common execution, signing, and compliance questions to help parties avoid delays and legal pitfalls.

Need help? Contact support

Can this subcontract be e-signed?
Yes. Under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws, most commercial subcontracts may be executed electronically if parties consent and the record is retained.
Is notarization required?
Not generally required for ordinary subcontracts, but certain state filings or specific clause types may require notarization or witnesses; verify state law when necessary.
What authentication level is recommended?
Use email + SMS code for routine signings; require stronger authentication (KBA or ID verification) when contract value or risk is high.
How do I handle change orders?
Require written, signed change orders referencing the original subcontract, specifying scope, price, and schedule adjustments before work continues.
Who can sign on behalf of a company?
An officer or delegated signatory with authority to bind the entity should sign; attach an authorizing resolution if necessary to verify authority.
How long should I retain signed subcontracts?
Retain originals for contract term plus at least 3 years; follow IRS, HIPAA, and industry-specific retention rules as applicable.

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