Why Does A Contractor Hire Subcontractors?
2012
The time has come for you to finally choose a contractor to remodel your basement, to renovate your kitchen or possibly add on the cozy den of your dreams. You have your ideas for the final product, your colors, materials and everything picked out. The hardest part is yet to come – choosing who will do the work.
Of course you’re going to consider things like price and quality when you set out to find the perfect contractor, but you may also be asking yourself the question “after I hire this contractor…
… who will actually perform the work?”
Contractors will often hire a specialty work force on projects. They may hire out a plumber for your basement bathroom or a specialty wood carpenter to repair that antique mantel in your dream den. These hired crafts people and smaller companies are called subcontractors.
Sometimes our instinctive thoughts on this is that the contractor is going to increase the final project cost in order to pay these folks, or “Why do we even need the contractor? We could just hire those folks ourselves to do that work“. Well, in both these cases, our instinctive thoughts are not quite on the money.
Your Licensed Contractor = Trusted Project Manager
What we need to understand is that the professional licensed contractor you hire is a professional project manager – NOT a specialty painter, plumber, or brick layer. Your contractor is the one who sees the total project or “big picture”. The contractor is very important because he/she will be with you from the idea phase of the project to the final outcome. Contractors are sometimes considered the “event coordinators” of construction – the ones who make sure the job gets done within budget, on time, and to the highest quality.
And although your contractor does not perform the hands-on labor, he/she has knowledge of all the fields and regularly stays informed and educated on new methods and materials that can be used. The contractor is your hired “subject matter expert” who communicates and translates the various possibilities then oversees the price, outcomes, and quality of the finish product. Further, your contractor is extremely valuable as an experienced navigator of the regulations and the permitting processes required for your renovation project.
So Why The Subs?
What we ultimately want is a beautifully redesigned and functioning bathroom, kitchen and/or home addition. Of course, we want the job done the right and in a budget-friendly way. However, few of us relish the idea of overseeing every nuance of the remodeling process to make this happen. This is why you’ve chosen to work with a professional contractor.
The contractor you have directly hired will, in turn, hire the subcontractors they know will be a good fit for the job. These subcontractors are chosen because of their good workmanship and good price. The contractor knows these service providers will ultimately yield a better final product (and value) for you.
Doing It Right From The Beginning
Having the right subcontractors who specialize in their crafts will ensure that each aspect of the work performed on your important renovation project is done correctly.
Having a licensed professional contractor select and oversee these specialty subcontractors will, in the end, make your dream project a reality.
So leave it up to your contractor to choose these people, relax, and let your dream home unfold!
