Most people aren't aware that when they work with a home remodeling contractor the company they're hiring sometimes doesn't actually do the work themselves.
This is what happens many times when you hire a contractor who then has subcontractors performing the work on your home remodel project. The quality doesn’t match what you thought you were hiring, the timeline is disrupted, and you now have strangers that you didn’t choose coming to work on your home.
JSB Home Solutions has been a general contractor for 46 years. While we work with subcontractors for certain tasks, JSB employees do most of the work on every remodel project we complete. Because we’ve worked with subcontractors for years, we’ve seen the issues that can arise with subcontractors. Unfortunately, we’ve actually been let down by some in the past as well. Through all this, we’ve learned what you as a homeowner may face and how to mitigate those challenges best.
In this article, we will break down the most common problems of working with subcontractors and you will know how to avoid these problems.
Table of Contents:
- So we’re on the same page, what are subcontractors?
- What Are Some Problems with Subcontractors?
- How Do You At JSB Select Your Subcontractors?
So we’re on the same page, what are subcontractors?
General contractors, or GCs, are people or companies who manage the work being done on a home remodeling project. Many times, they have their own company employees who complete the work in the field.
Sometimes general contractors will hire subcontractors (or subs) to do specific tasks within a job. For example, they could hire a plumber to come in and relocate the toilet in your bathroom while they continue work on your shower.
Subs are a great option when you have a specialty task that needs to be done. Like in our example above, you want someone who is well-versed in plumbing to relocate your toilet so you don’t end up with leaks after the job is done.
Some GCs do not have their own employees at all and they hire all work out to subs. This can be a cause for concern if the proper precautions have not been taken.
What Are Some Problems with Subcontractors?
1. Projects using subcontractors will end up costing you more.
Projects completed by subs are more expensive than those completed by company employees. Subs will have their own price and overhead that they charge to the GC. They might (and should) have their own insurance and licensing to pay for also.
Then the GC will charge you to cover the cost of the sub and the GC’s overhead, insurance, licensing, etc. This means that the project cost you pay will be higher than if the GC just paid their own employees.
Solution: Hire a GC Who Has Their Own Employees Installing Your Project.
There’s no other way around this. If the cost of your home remodel project is the most important factor, you will get the most out of a GC who uses their own employees to complete your remodel project.
2. Subcontractors could create project delays.
Subcontractors are often individuals who manage themselves. They might not have to report to any boss about their time management or schedule. Because of this, they may have a tendency to not show up to a job site or leave a job early with no notice. Lack of structure and communication around schedules can have serious implications for your project timeline.
Tasks during a remodel project need to be completed in a certain order and if a sub is not going to finish something on time, it could delay other subs from being able to complete their job as scheduled. Weeks or months of remodeling project delays could happen if the other subs’ schedules are booked.
Solution: Communicate Daily with Your GC About Job Progress.
Some GCs may have protocols in place where their subs have to communicate job progress but subs may not always use the system that is in place. If you do hire a GC who uses subs, be sure to communicate quickly (daily is ideal) with your GC about what work has been completed or if subs leave early and don’t return to your job.
3. Your project might not match the quality standards you're expecting.
One of the top reasons to hire a contractor other than price is probably because you like their quality standards. You expect that the product you get at the end of the project will match the standard your hired company has set for themselves. But how do you know that any subcontractor who works on your job will also have that same standard of quality?
You don’t! It’s a gamble. Contractors might have different subs on different projects or hire new subs that they’ve never used before and you can’t guarantee that the quality you will get will be the same as the last customer who hired that contractor.
Solution: Before You Hire a GC, Ask If They Use the Same Subs for Every Job.
If you are interviewing a remodeling company that uses subs (regularly or occasionally), it’s a good idea to ask if they have standard subs they work with or if subs change frequently. GCs who work with the same subs over and over will be able to give you much more quality control than those who switch up their sub list all the time.
4. Subcontractors Mean More People Accessing Your Home.
Subcontractors mean more people in and out of the job site. Unless your GC works with them regularly, you don’t really know what kind of person you are giving access to your home. Safety and security should be the highest priority of a GC who takes care of their homeowners.
Solution: Before You Hire a GC, Ask About Their Subcontractor Selection Process.
If you are interviewing general contractors who use subs, ask them the following questions to make sure you feel comfortable with the work that will be done on your remodel project:
- How do you find your subs?
- How long have you worked with your subs?
- How do you make sure your subs do quality work?
- How do you manage your subs, especially when it relates to the project timeline?
- Who is responsible for mistakes made by the sub?
Having answers to these questions will give you a good indication of how well your general contractor knows and trusts the subs that they will be sending into your home.
How Do You At JSB Select Your Subcontractors?
All JSB subcontractors have gone through the same hiring process as our company employees. They are interviewed and evaluated to make sure they match our company's core values and we check references for individuals or reviews if it is a company.
JSB uses a handful of subcontractors to perform specific tasks on our job sites. These are specialty tasks and we want people who are experts to complete them. Any other tasks that your remodel project requires, we do in-house.
- Drywall
- Electrical Work
- Moving Plumbing
- Tile
- Sunroom Glass
We have long-standing relationships with our subs, like our electrician who we have worked with for 10 years. We know we can count on their quality, timeliness, cleanliness, and character when we send them to your home.
Should I Hire a Contractor Who Uses Subcontractors?
It can be frustrating to hire a company to remodel your bathroom or kitchen only to be left with a finished project that falls short of your expectations because they hired the job out to a subcontractor. How can you be sure that everyone who works on your job will perform to the standard you are expecting?
If your project involves a lot of specialty work or you will be at home during most of the construction process to keep an eye on progress, you could hire a GC who uses subcontractors. You should still ask the questions listed above to make sure you are confident in the general contractor/subcontractor relationship.
If you are more budget-conscious, want to maintain quality, and feel confident in the people who are in and out of your home, you should hire a contractor who uses their own employees and/or has a rigorous subcontractor selection process.
Your remodel journey depends on the company you hire to bring your vision to life. Choosing a reputable remodeler can be daunting but we have compiled lists of the top kitchen, bathroom, and sunroom remodelers in central Ohio to get you started.
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