Hiring One Contractor vs Managing Trades Yourself
One of the biggest decisions in any construction project is whether to hire a single general contractor or manage multiple trades yourself. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages.
Hire a General Contractor
How it works: One contractor takes full responsibility for the project, hiring and coordinating all subcontractors.
Advantages:
- Single point of contact and responsibility
- Contractor coordinates all trades and timing
- Contractor handles most day-to-day issues
- Single insurance and bonding arrangement
- Clear accountability for quality and timeline
- Less demanding on your time
- Contractor bears risk of cost overruns (with fixed contracts)
Disadvantages:
- Contractor builds profit margin into subcontractor costs
- Less direct control over which specific trades work on your project
- May have less leverage on pricing
- Communication filtered through contractor
Manage Trades Yourself
How it works: You hire individual contractors (electrician, plumber, carpenter, etc.) and manage the project yourself or with a project manager.
Advantages:
- Potentially lower costs (eliminate contractor markup)
- Direct control over which specific trades work for you
- Direct communication with each trade
- Can hire specialized contractors for specific needs
- More flexibility in scheduling and changes
Disadvantages:
- You become the project manager—very time intensive
- You coordinate scheduling between trades
- You handle all disputes and problems
- You bear the cost risk for delays or overruns
- Insurance and bonding with multiple parties is complex
- No single party accountable for overall project
- Trades may not show up on schedule if busy with other work
- More stressful to manage
Comparison Decision Table
| Factor | General Contractor | Manage Trades |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Higher (includes markup) | Potentially lower |
| Time Required | Minimal from you | Substantial |
| Coordination | Contractor handles | You handle |
| Risk | Contractor bears risk | You bear risk |
| Accountability | Clear (single party) | Distributed |
| Stress Level | Lower | Higher |
Which Should You Choose?
Choose a General Contractor if:
- You don't have time to manage the project
- You prefer clear accountability
- You want minimal stress and involvement
- Your project is complex with multiple trades
Consider Managing Trades if:
- Your project is simple (single trade)
- You have substantial time available
- You have construction/project management experience
- You want maximum control and potentially lower costs
- You're comfortable handling disputes
Middle Ground: Hire a Project Manager
Consider hiring a Project Manager to coordinate trades while you maintain some control. This balances cost savings with reduced management burden.