ISNetworld, Avetta, or Veriforce — the answer depends entirely on your industry, your clients, and your work type. This decision guide gives you the exact rules to find out which platform your business requires.
The prequalification platform you need is the one your clients require. Not the one that's most popular. Not the one your competitor uses. Not the one with the cheapest registration fee.
Before reading any further: call your three biggest clients and ask which prequalification platform they use and what their minimum compliance threshold is. That conversation makes the rest of this guide either a confirmation or unnecessary.
Use this as your starting point — most contractors find their answer here:
| Your primary industry | Most likely required platform | Secondary platform (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Oil and gas upstream production | ISNetworld | Veriforce (some operators) |
| Oil and gas refining / petrochemicals | ISNetworld | — |
| Specialty chemicals / heavy manufacturing | ISNetworld | Avetta (some clients) |
| Midstream pipeline / gas transmission | Veriforce | ISNetworld (if also doing upstream) |
| Natural gas utilities / LDCs | Veriforce | — |
| Healthcare facilities / hospital systems | Avetta | — |
| Commercial real estate / facilities management | Avetta | — |
| Food and beverage manufacturing | Avetta | — |
| Retail / consumer goods facilities | Avetta | — |
| General construction (varies by client) | Ask each client | ISNetworld or Avetta |
| Power generation / utilities | Varies | Ask each client |
If you're not sure which industry category applies, use your client type:
| If your client is... | You most likely need... |
|---|---|
| ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, Valero, BP, or similar major oil company | ISNetworld |
| Dow Chemical, BASF, LyondellBasell, or major chemical producer | ISNetworld |
| Enterprise Products, Williams Companies, Kinder Morgan, or midstream operator | Veriforce |
| Atmos Energy, Southern Company Gas, or gas utility/LDC | Veriforce |
| Johnson & Johnson, Abbott, or pharmaceutical facility operator | Avetta |
| CBRE, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, or large facilities management company | Avetta |
| Walmart, Amazon, or large retail/distribution operator | Avetta |
| Regional general contractor for commercial construction | Ask — varies by GC |
| Federal government / public agency | No specific platform — EMR threshold applies |
Geography matters in some sectors:
| If your work is primarily in... | Consider... |
|---|---|
| Gulf Coast refineries / chemical corridor (Houston to Baton Rouge) | ISNetworld — dominant in this geography |
| Permian Basin oil field operations | ISNetworld (upstream) and possibly Veriforce (midstream) |
| Pipeline right-of-way (any geography) | Veriforce — standard for most pipeline operators |
| Major metropolitan commercial / healthcare | Avetta — most facility operators in commercial real estate |
| Multiple regions across different sectors | May need multiple platforms — evaluate by client |
If you have no prequalification profiles and you're entering a new market, use this sequence:
If you've already won a bid (or are trying to) and need prequalification urgently:
In emergency situations, start immediately. Every day of delay is a day the grade isn't improving.
Some contractors genuinely need ISNetworld, Avetta, and Veriforce simultaneously. This is most common for:
Managing all three simultaneously is a document management challenge — three sets of renewal calendars, three operator relationship tracks, three sets of questionnaire updates. EHS Inc. manages all three platforms as a single engagement: one team, one contact, one flat rate. Most clients reach passing grades on each platform within 30 to 90 days of engagement start.
If you leave this page with one thing: your platform is determined by your clients, not by rankings or industry reputation. Ask each client directly. Then build the right profile — not all of them.
If you're still unsure after working through these decision rules, schedule a free call with EHS Inc. We'll review your client list and tell you exactly which platforms you need, what your current TRIR and EMR will produce as a starting score, and what the realistic timeline looks like to reach a passing grade.
Aaron West
Founder, EHS, Inc. — 18+ years in EHS compliance and contractor safety
Aaron West has spent over 18 years helping contractors and businesses navigate OSHA compliance, ISNetworld® certification, and workplace safety management. He founded EHS, Inc. to make enterprise-level EHS accessible to companies of all sizes — serving contractors and businesses nationwide — without long-term contracts or enterprise overhead.
Our team handles the complexity so you can focus on running your business. No long-term contracts, no learning curve.
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