- A history of completing the same type of work.
- References
- Current license and insurance
This is a good question.
There are countless sub-contractors other there and navigating through the vast sea of “high-quality” subs can be rather exhausting. Finding subs is easier than it has ever been. Search google for “plumber” and you are presented with 200 local options. This makes things difficult because more choices means more research, which results in more time spent searching.
The number one thing to rely on is word-of-mouth. Do you know someone who has used the sub you are looking to hire? Did they do a good job, and was the end result positive? If yes, you have a pretty reliable option. Start there.
Let’s say you are new to hiring subs and you are looking to build a relationship. Consider the following…
Do they answer the phone?
If yes, good. Also pay attention to how they answer the phone…professional or unprofessional. If no one is there to answer the phone, move on.
Time management and responsiveness.
Are they on time and do they respond quickly to you? The answer should be yes to both. If they’re not 10 minutes early, they’re late.
Value and price.
Too often price is THE deciding factor when choosing a sub-contractor. You want to make sure you balance value with price. Remember this, there are three things that can define a sub…good, fast, and cheap. A sub can’t be all three, they can only be two. So, if you want good and fast, you have to sacrifice cheap. If you want cheap and fast, you have to sacrifice good… and so on.
tldr: Do your homework and make an educated decision. You get what you pay for.
- Organized with attention to detail: The subcontractor who has all his paperwork in order and doesn’t keep asking you the same questions 10 times on a job is a godsend. Even better is when you don’t have to be his MapQuest, accountant, janitor, banker, etc… An organized sub-contractor will have his stuff in order and will be an asset, not a liability.
- Accountability: This encompasses returning phone calls, being on time for meetings, submitting estimates on time, staying on schedule, taking care of callbacks in a timely fashion)
- Knowledge: As a general contractor I have to rely heavily on my subcontractors expertise on their particular field. I have to be confident that they are relaying me the correct information so that I can assist the client in making the best decision for his/her project.