One contractor or several

[DeeDeeRmoan]

Hi, ☺️

We've already contacted a fairly local contractor to get a quote on our 'doer upper' for most of the initial stuff that needs doing that isn't quite as DIY friendly, ie replacement windows, external doors, doorways bricking up, skylight, internal lintels for wall removal and external lintels for patio door putting in. They are actually a window company but work hand in hand with a preferred builder and I wondered if that's the most economical way to get several different professional jobs done or best to employ separate contractors ourselves? 

 

The house needs just about everything replacing so I know we'll have to find a separate gas engineer and sparky though. 

[markc]

I would split windows and doors off as one package, general building works as another, electrics,  roofing, plumbing again separate 

Edited April 27 by markc

[joe90]

I had one main contractor (who was brilliant) and the advantage I believe is there is no passing the buck, also contractors usually know good other trades for gas, windows etc (mine did, if they were crap he would not use them )

Edited April 27 by joe90

[DeeDeeRmoan]

5 minutes ago, joe90 said:

I had one main contractor (who was brilliant) and the advantage I believe is there is no passing the buck, also contractors usually know good other trades for gas etc (mine did, if they were crap he would not use them )

That was my thinking too. This company seem  a pretty  upstanding family firm - they have oodles of good reviews for being reliable, tidy and professional so I doubt they'd allow their reputation to be affected employing a 'wrong un'. 😃

Edited April 27 by DeeDeeRmoan

[nod]

If you use a main contractor 

He will bring sub contractors in for most of it 
So if you can find your own you will be cutting out the middle man 

[joe90]

2 minutes ago, nod said:

If you use a main contractor 

He will bring sub crib tractors in for most of it 
So if you can find your own You will be cutting out the middle man 

Well mine didn’t, his two guys worked on mine for a year and he introduced me to the electrician, window and door  makers, painter and sparky. I fitted windows,  most of the carpentry, tiling, plumbing etc

37 minutes ago, DeeDeeRmoan said:

This company seem  a pretty  upstanding family firm - they have oodles of good reviews for being reliable, tidy and professional s

Go with your gut feeling (and review) I did and no regrets.

[twice round the block]

57 minutes ago, DeeDeeRmoan said:

This company seem  a pretty  upstanding family firm - they have oodles of good reviews 

😃

As long as the reviews aren't from "checkatrade" and they have a legitimate website hopefully you'll be OK. 

 

Just be very cautious as I find good tradesmen don't need to advertise, don't care about the self praise review culture, and are nearly always found by recommendations from a close friend who's used them and not via Facebook recommendations.

Someone in my village recently posted on Facebook asking for someone to clean her gutters and carryout a small roof repair. Within hours she had 57 recommendations!!!

 

 

[nod]

1 hour ago, joe90 said:

Well mine didn’t, his two guys worked on mine for a year and he introduced me to the electrician, window and door  makers, painter and sparky. I fitted windows,  most of the carpentry, tiling, plumbing etc

Go with your gut feeling (and review) I did and no regrets.

Sounds like he brought quite a few subcontractors in 

Hardly any building companies have there own tradesmen now 

Even Redrow and co 

 

[joe90]

1 hour ago, nod said:

Sounds like he brought quite a few subcontractors in 

No, he

1 hour ago, nod said:

introduced me to the electrician, window and door  makers, painter and sparky

As people he had worked well with before and I decided to employ them.

1 hour ago, nod said:

Hardly any building companies have there own tradesmen now 

Even Redrow and co 

Mine was

3 hours ago, DeeDeeRmoan said:

a pretty  upstanding family firm

Nothing like Redrow. A small firm With a good local history of pleased customers 

[FuerteStu]

I was the main contractor on mine (garage and loft conversion). I did everything but the scaffolding and gas. 

 

I wouldn't recommend it if you can afford to hire someone to do it. The stress and extraordinarily exhausting work is not healthy. 

[joe90]

Another advantage of hiring a main contractor is that he is responsible for health and safety etc for the site. Mind you I worked full time with them on site doing my work (and loved every minute if it).

[Bozza]

The pros and cons of using a main contractor v individual trades are not just financial cost.

 

A brilliant main contractor with a good reputation could end up cheaper than individual trades.  If something goes wrong with one trade it could have a knock on effect on others.  Any £ savings could be written off if you need to redo work if you subcontract an end up with a bad tradey.

 

a good main contractor will use good tradesmen.

 

however if you have a good knowledge of building work, and a network of good trades, you can project manager yourself and save some money.

 

My advice would be to apply a sliding scale of building knowledge to your decision.  The worse knowledge you have slide that scale towards a main contractor.  The more knowledge slide towards sub contracting.  

 

if this is your first rodeo:

 

Ensure sure you have a written contract or at very least detailed correspondence emails quotes etc.    Having an email chain that asks “is there anything that is not included” can be helpful to you.   Eg waste disposal.
 

Utilising a trade or contractor without due diligence is risky.  Online / social media reviews should be treated as fake unless you have verified them.  A good tradesman will have no problem in you wanting to getting references.

 

look after your tradesman.  I pay mine immediately as they’re tidying up.  They tend to come back.  Keep out if their way as they do their job.   If you’re delighted with their work drop them a line a week later saying so.  

 

trades are not cheap if you get good ones.    If quotes are noticeably cheaper than others be wary.

 

don’t forget if you think OMG he’s getting £40 per hour or whatever, I only get paid £15 per hour working at my company / I went to Uni / blah blah, he’s ripping me off.  Don’t forget he only gets paid that when actually at the job, not all the other stuff he has to do when he’s getting £zero per hour.   Pays for expensive tools.  And he’s probably not in a workplace pension scheme, gets 28 days paid hols etc etc.   yes some tradesmen are doing ok but few are super wealthy.

 

This forum is good for advising if your quotes sound fair, when you get them in.

 

Oh, and where I say “he” I include the great female tradespeople that are coming into the industry,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mattg4321]

Great post