Martin and Lewis. Simon and Garfunkel. Jordan and Pippen. While each half of these duos has been an independent success, there’s no denying two is often better than one. The same can be said of the relationship between commercial  general contractor and subcontractor. We GCs may think we’re the star, but we all know the most successful commercial construction projects require great subcontractors.

Why? Because without skilled subcontractors a commercial construction general contractor is just a guy in an office. Back in the ‘90s, Englewood Construction would get tables full of holiday treats from subcontractors. I like caramel corn as much as anybody, but I would tell subs there were only two things we needed – a competitive bid and outstanding service. Without the best bid, we can’t win the project. And without the best service, the bid is meaningless.

So, how do you ensure that you have and retain the best subs available? The easy answer to finding subcontractors is to use The Blue Book of Building and Construction. We have another tip to finding the best subs for a project, but you’re going to have to email me for it – we can’t give away everything.

Keep in mind, the cheapest subcontractor may not be the best sub for the project. Just like the general construction contractor who submits the lowest construction costs in the bid process is not always the best choice.

To keep subs happy, be honest and give them a fair scope of work. Don’t be the company that doesn’t pass along a revised set of drawings to subs after the initial contract so they’re stuck doing more work for less pay.

Most importantly, pay your subs on time. However, billing requirements and title trusts may differ from one retail construction project to the next, so educate your subs on filling out reports and billing. Otherwise, your subs may not get paid on time.

And while it’s not supposed to happen, it’s not unheard of for a project owner or superintendent to walk a site and strike up a conversation with subcontractors. This usually goes one of two ways.

1.    The owner or superintendent starts asking subs about the project and their relationship with you. This could be good or bad, depending on how you treat your subs.

2.    The owner or superintendent makes work changes or requests directly to the sub. If you have great, experienced subs on the job, they’ll know they can’t take direction from anyone but you. If you don’t, your work flow and budget may suffer.

Bottom line: treat your subcontractors with the same respect and integrity that you treat your clients.

Curious about Englewood’s secret to finding the best subs for a job? Email me at chuck.taylor@englewoodconstruction.com. I’d also love to hear your additional comments and suggestions for a successful contractor/subcontractor relationship.