In doing a little research on contactinga large project I keep running arcoss “if you can deal with the sub’s……..”. I’ve hired a fair amount of tradesmen and have been very satisfied with the experience, granted these were all refered by others and I’m not looking for cheap/shoddy work or low ball bids, I’ve had plans/specs and have done research on the work task. Just keep running arcoss dealing with subs as if it’s the end of the world. Anyone have any insite into what I’m missing? Thanks!
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The experience of having to win a project based on cost.
Anyone can hire the most expensive sub and say "it was not difficult at all".
WAHD
He's on to it. If you pick your people based on experience, trust, quality of workmanship, and reputation, the job ought to go swimmingly. It does not tend to require inordinate amounts of adult supervision on your part, but you have to know what the timeline needs to be and you have to have the basics of management. Unfortunately, in rare instances, you have to put the hammer down (literally and figuratively) and make a call on some petty dispute and put an end to it.
The Catch-22 is when you submit the bid based on all these qualities, someone else out there is bottom dollar shopping, and if the owner only wants $ rather than end result, you're wasting your time. If you try, as a GC, to get the low bid and the best quality, then you're likely spending too much time in dreamland. That's where my all time favorite catch phrase comes in: Sucks to be you!
" To the noble mind / Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind" - Wm Shakespeare, Hamlet, III,i,100
"Hiring a tradesman" is different than "dealing with subs"
in the first case you are likely obtaining the services of a single company for a single job, whose scheduling is most likely more flexible.
In the second case the "sub" is one of many whose time has to be scheduled in concert with other trades and, believe it or not. schedule slips do take place. So the tradesman you didn't have a problem with for their work only being involved is now part of an overall plan. The trade can't get there because there was a snowstorm, so that work is delayed, causeing others to be delayed, but they have other commitments who you would effect but they can do the work for the other people on time if they don't do yours, so you get put off. this causes more schedule problems for you. domino effect. None of this having to do with quality of work.
So now you large project is behind schedule and emotions get involved and it's all that %^&* sub's fault.
bobl Volo Non Voleo Joe's BT Forum cheat sheet
Thanks that was the type of info I was looking for!