What Should Be in Every New Home and Why --Part 6-- Contractor / Subcontractors

At the surface, it may look like most homes are built by professional homebuilders. In truth, most home construction is run by a contractor but built by 20 or more subcontractors.

Ask the builder: Was this home built by a single professional builder or by many subcontractors each completing a small part of the process?

Subcontractors (or “Subs”) tend to be concerned with their own piece of the process. They don’t generally worry about the other subcontractors or how their work affects the work of others. Shoddy work has to be dealt with by the trades that follow. It is common to see a jobsite sit for days at a time with no one working on it because one sub is waiting on another, who is waiting on another, etc. That wasted time can add several months to the process and is transferred to the home buyer as extra costs in the form of interest and insurance payments made by the developer or construction loan interest by the homeowner.
By contrast, a professional builder efficiently schedules, completes, and takes full responsibility for every aspect of the home. It is a common impression that faster construction equates to lower quality. In fact, organized building processes reduce build time, increase quality control, and reduce costs. You’ll notice that homes built by professional builders are completed much more quickly (45 days or less) because of the control they have over scheduling. The assembly crew completes every part of the process. Any shoddy work they pass on is to themselves, so it is in each individual’s best interest to complete each task correctly.

Ask the builder: Who do I call with issues or questions?

It is common for contractors to refer questions to the subcontractor who completed the specific task in question. Often times it is not clear who the responsible party is. Subcontractors point fingers at each other leaving the homeowner powerless and the issue unresolved. When homes are built by a single responsible professional homebuilder issues can be resolved quickly and efficiently.

Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes