Building Something? Be Sure to Bring in the Experts

When you’re focused on getting your building project done on schedule and within your budget, it may seem easier to just have one individual or trade company do it all. At a glance, such an arrangement might seem to bypass a bunch of red tape and a few unwitting games of “telephone.” But the truth is using professional trade specialists and subcontractors for specific roles can save you time, money and headaches, and a reputable contractor will be able to bring in the right specialists for your project. Those specialists can range from experts in drywall, framing, plumbing, electric, flooring, painting and beyond.

Here are five ways using the trade specialists can benefit you.

1. Every project is different, and subcontractors specialize in different trades and project types. A good general contractor will have a network they can tap into to find the best subcontractors for your particular job. So whether your project includes special plumbing considerations, or complex, out-of-the-ordinary electrical work, your contractor can bring in the right subcontractor for the job.
2. An experienced and trustworthy contractor can ensure competitive subcontractor and supplier rates based upon the scope of your project. Almost no one has a bottomless budget, yet we all want the best quality we can get. Hire a single trade company and there’s no evaluation of the pricing of individual trade tasks; whereas your contractor will be able to evaluate multiple bids from specialist subcontractors to ensure you get more bang for your building buck.
3. As a result of using an experienced contractor and their trusted network of trade specialists, your project will be higher quality, requiring less building maintenance and fewer repairs over time. In addition, if you decide to sell down the road, a well-built building with the quality workmanship that specialists provide will hold its value longer.
4. A reputable general contractor will have experience managing construction schedules and the critical path needs of the project. This allows trusted subcontractors to perform their work in alignment with that schedule—sometimes concurrently, sometimes consecutively, always keeping the project moving along at the right pace. Your general contractor will manage the carefully-selected trade specialists effectively, making sure the work is done efficiently. Work with a single individual or trade company, and your timeline could be considerably longer.
5. A specialist can provide a higher quality of work than a generalist, often within a fraction of the time. Jack-of-all trades staff who are expected to know how to do a wide variety of trades are unlikely to have the same level of expertise as a specialist brought in to complete a specific task. The result: when you onboard trade specialists, you save time and money, and the work pays for itself.