Is It Better to Hire a Contractor or a General Contractor?

Is it better to hire a contractor or a general contractor?

The answer to the question depends on the nature of a home remodeling contract. The more extensive the home remodeling project, the more likely that you should hire a general contractor. For small home renovation projects such as installing skylights, you are probably better off hiring what is called a specialty skylight contractor. In the United States, contractors receive licenses based on meeting specific professional qualifications.

Let’s review what it takes to become a special contractor and a general contractor.

Specialty Contractor

A specialty contractor (SC) typically is referred to as a Class C license holder. Earning this license qualifies a specialty contractor to work in a specific trade, such as heating, plumbing, roofing, and welding. Specialty contractors undergo comprehensive training to master their specific trades. They learn the technical applications of their specific trades, as well as master the organization of projects. The owner of a property or a general contractor can hire an SC, depending on the scope of a home remodeling project. Specialty contractors are responsible for following the safety codes and regulations established by local governments.

General Contractor

A general contractor manages a home remodeling project that requires the professional services of two or more specialty contractors. General contractors schedule deadlines for the different steps involved in completing a home remodeling project, as well as ensure all the materials needed to complete the project arrive on time and in the correct quantities. For example, a general contractor like Mares & Dow contracts with a specialty contractor to install a new roof and a different special contractor to revamp a home’s plumbing system. When a GC hires an SC to perform work on a home remodeling project, the GC usually compensates the SC with a down payment. The balance is paid after the completion of the home remodeling project.

What Factors Should I Consider Before Hiring a GC and SC?

Although general contractors and special contractors have different professional obligations during a home remodeling project, the criteria they should meet are similar in many ways.

You want to ensure both types of contractors have acquired the proper licenses and insurance. Second, both types of contractors should provide several references, preferably from recent clients. If a contractor does not provide any professional references, you should consider that as a serious impediment to hiring the contractor. Third, any contractor under consideration should have access to enough materials, as well as have a backup plan to address supply disruption issues. Fourth, contractors must have enough labor to complete your home remodeling project, which can be a difficult goal to reach during acute labor shortages.

Communication is Critically Important

One of the most compelling reasons to hire a general contractor for a large home remodeling project concerns the ease of communication. If you hire several special contractors to handle jobs that require several different trades, you have to communicate with each special contractor to determine issues such as the status of a certain step within the scope of the project. On the other hand, hiring a general contractor to manage different special contractors streamlines the communication process. Instead of communicating with several special contractors, the communication channel goes through one source, the general contractor.

Just make sure to agree on the types of communication channels to use during your home remodeling project.