It is common for clients to ask their builder to use a commercial contractor with whom they have an established relationship and to allow that commercial contractor to purchase their own materials, supplies, and surface protection. Owners often do this to establish an apparent environment of responsibility and trust. However, this is often detrimental to the build process. Builders buy from their suppliers and select subcontractors based on positive lessons learned through previous experience, as a builder’s reputation is vital to continued success. Allowing the builder to use familiar subcontractors and vendors is in the owner’s best interests.
Purchases from experienced and trusted suppliers
Allowing a builder to purchase from pre-tested suppliers provides the assurance that all products are reliable, consistent, dependable, and do not pose a threat of damage to a customer’s home. Builders turn to established suppliers precisely because they can vouch for the reliability of the products purchased and because they genuinely feel that using these products is in the best interest of the homeowner. What good is protecting a newly installed carpet with a cheap temporary carpet film when it leaves a residue on your new carpet? The additional cost spent cleaning the carpet is significantly more than the five or ten dollar savings.
In an effort to save on material costs, homeowners will frequently search online and search for multiple vendors to provide the necessary accessories for their homes. People are often unaware of the complexities and risks involved in sourcing their own products. It is common for small pieces of plumbing, lighting, etc. to be ordered separately. In addition to creating time delays, this can present the risk that ordered products may not ultimately meet the needs of the project, resulting in breakages and tremendous damage to a home. If in an attempt to save a bit on a remodel, a homeowner may inadvertently order a sink that does not meet a home’s water pressure limits. This can result in flood damage to a home that cannot be covered by any warranty. The best way to minimize any risk in remodeling a home is to allow the builder to buy from proven suppliers.
Subcontractors selected by the builder
There are even more compelling reasons to use regular subcontractors. Builders depend on subcontractors as much as employees; business partners are an integral part of the builder’s team. Therefore, builders tend to award major contracts—the wiring for a custom home, for example—only to subcontractors that have proven their worth. With proven operations, accurate bids can be put together quickly and the builder understands and trusts the quality promised by those bids.
Builders often evaluate subcontractors over the years. Subcontractors are initially placed to complete small jobs to assess their skills. However, even once a subcontractor has demonstrated great ability, it is still evaluated on metrics like how available they are to contact, how accurate their bids are, how well they work with the client and the builder, and how their work is held together over a period of time. period of years Additionally, allowing the builder to choose subcontractors allows both the subcontractor and builder to coordinate efforts, such as the use of temporary surface protection to protect the home from dust and damage.
Ultimately, it is in the best interest of the subcontractor to complete the job to the best of its ability. Completing projects in a professional and thoughtful manner ensures future work for the subcontractor. A builder who uses an unproven subcontractor risks losing his control over the quality of the building. As such, any problems caused by painters, contractors, and customer-purchased products cannot be avoided with the builder’s due diligence. Perhaps the owner’s suggested painter failed to protect the newly installed hardwood floor from paint splatters, resulting in expensive resurfacing. Any of these issues will reflect negatively on a builder’s reputation, and a builder’s reputation is the foundation for winning work in the future.
Builders prefer to purchase from certain vendors and use specific subcontractors because they believe it is in the best interest of the homeowner. If the builders don’t do the best job possible, they will soon be out of a job.