One common misconception when people hire a general contractor is that they do all the work themselves or have in-house crews that handle all the work. While there are certainly some examples of either scenario, the most common method for a general contractor, is to contract with sub-contractors to execute the construction of a project (thus the term, general contractor).
Sometimes this arrangement is viewed in a negative light. From the view point of someone involved in the industry, sub-contractor use is, generally speaking, what any client should desire. Similar to how one would not want a podiatrist evaluating and treating a sinus issue, one should not want a tile installer installing their windows or vice versa. Each sub-contractor is specialized in what they do and do it day in and day out. These are the type of people that are ideal to have working on your home. It is a rare find to find someone who is as good at doing multiple different types of tasks to the same level of proficiency as someone who specializes in just one trade.
The thought of having unknown sub-contractors working in one’s home also often puts people on edge. While the sub-contractors may be new to the client, they are usually not new to the general contractor. Often, a sub-contractor does a large portion, if not all, of the general contractors work. Working relationships that go back years and even decades, is not uncommon. As relationships are developed, the subs learn what the contractor expects of them and present themselves and work in a manner very similar to how an employee would.
Ultimately, it is the general contractor’s job to manage the construction of the job, whether it be with employees or sub-contractors performing the work. This is why we have a project manager assigned to every job who is onsite virtually every day ensuring the subs know what is needed, have what they need, and are working in a manner consistent with company standards. This has proven to be the most cost effective way to have talented and specialized trades execute the construction plans to our standards.