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1
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The building process, either new construction or renovation is a finely tuned series of coordinated interactions between subcontractors that is not common knowledge to the average homeowner. The outcome of course is successfully meeting the completion date to your satisfaction and most importantly, being able to move into your new home or use your newly renovated space.
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2
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There’s more to this process than picking out fixtures, carpet and tile. These choices must be made very early in the process and ordered well in advance to avoid additional charges from delayed subcontractors.
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3
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Where will you buy your materials? The best pricing and materials are at your local lumberyard, through your GC’s volume account. It makes no sense to pull your hair out trying to get your custom claw foot tub delivered from Tim-Buck-Too by Friday before the plumbers walk off your job for yet another delay when a reputable GC pumping thousands of dollars through your local lumberyard can pull some strings and often have even the worst scenario pulled together seamlessly or avoided altogether.
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4
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Reason #2 is why many subcontractors avoid working directly for the homeowner. If you do get a sub to work for you, it’s likely that, because you lack knowledge of the building process, they are over-charging you for their services because they don’t want to do the job.
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5
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Homeowners are at a disadvantage regarding subcontractors therefore there is no loyalty to the homeowner, presenting more costly delays when they don’t show up to your job, even when they said they would.
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6
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Reason #5 directly relates to why you, the homeowner have no control over the subcontractors. You represent no repeat business for the subcontractor. Referrals don’t count. Steady work for them comes from consistently working with known General Contractors. You may end up paying a reputable GC to finish or fix shoddy work at a premium price.
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7
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Do you want to “cut corners”? Do not think that a reputable sub-contractor will put his or her license on the line to save you money. Building codes are in place to protect you and the subcontractor- why put yourself and your family at risk or in harms way to save a few dollars!
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8
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A guarantee is as good as the paper it is written on: the subcontractor owes you nothing in terms of warranty for work completed and is less likely to even return your phone call when problems arise from shoddy work performed. Without a GC overseeing the subcontractors’ work, you may be subject to sub-par work that will need fixing later, at a premium price.
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9
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Where is the warranty if you are GC? A reputable General Contractor warrantees his work and the work of the subs he has hired to complete your job. His reputation relies on your satisfaction (and possibly your referrals) therefore he’s likely to return your call!
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10
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Cheapest price does not mean you are saving money! It means you are hiring the cheapest person who wants to get the job because they are the cheapest. Not because they are the best at what they do.
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