Construction Law
8 Tips for Hiring Subcontractors Part 1
Among the many challenges that general contractors face when managing a construction project, hiring good subcontractors is among the most difficult. Subcontractors, themselves, are business entities that may have their own interest. Since they don’t work for your company, it may be harder to have a feel for their qualifications, experience or level of professionalism. Also, if they are good, they are probably busy. However, subcontractors are performing important jobs on construction sites everyday. While they don’t work directly for you, to your client, they are still a part of the face of your company.
At Cotney Attorneys & Consultants, our Orlando construction lawyers understand the importance of finding good subcontractors. That’s why we have created this guide with tips for hiring the best subcontractors. You may read these tips first or you may skip ahead to part two of this guide.
Ask For Recommendations
There’s no better way to determine who you should be working with than word of mouth. Ask your peers who they’ve worked with on specific projects. They will not want to damage their reputation by making a bad recommendation.
Check Their Work
It’s also important to see what they have done in the past. Their ability to show this will be a good indicator of their professionalism. From there, you will be able to look at their work and determine if it meets the standards that you have set for your project.
Determine If They Are Qualified
Along with checking over their work, it’s a good idea to interview them and talk about your project. Ask the subcontractor what his or her approach would be to the project. You will be able to judge from their responses if they are qualified to do the job. Also, in checking the subcontractors background, look for projects that they have worked on that are similar to your current project. This will be an indicator of their skill and their ability to handle the size of your project.
Create a Clear Scope of Work
When creating a contract for your contractor, be sure that the scope of work clearly outlines all of their responsibilities, who they will report to, and contingencies should the project not go as planned.
To request a consultation with one of our experienced Orlando construction attorneys, please call us today at 407.378.6575 or submit our contact request form.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.