Subcontractor Isn’t a Four Letter Word

We get asked a lot if we use subcontractors. It’s a question we don’t mind answering, except we get the sense that it is often laced with concern and hesitation. The answer is: yes, we use subcontractors for many aspects of the projects we take on. But the answer to the underlying question is: no, that’s really not a bad thing. Here’s why.

We take a lot of pride in our work, and the full-time employees of RIC are carpenters because that’s where we want to focus our efforts and skills. While every project requires carpentry and construction, not every project requires a plumber or an energy auditor or a window replacement, so why should the cost of keeping those tradespeople on our books full time be passed on to our clients?

Instead of raising our costs to keep a larger staff, we prefer to keep a close-knit and small group of subcontractors on-call for the jobs that require their skills. Much like us, the folks who work at the companies we subcontract are experts at the specific job they do. Every project is different and may require an expert in energy efficiency, fencing and decking, landscaping or all of the above. When those projects arise, we call on one of our trusted subs.

We maintain a very exclusive list of subcontractors who typically have several things in common.  First, they should be a small sized company like RIC design/build. This means they are only taking on a few projects at a time and so they can devote more time and attention to our projects. Second, we deal directly with the owners of these other companies to ensure the jobs are being taken care of with the utmost care. Finally, most of these companies have worked with us for at least three years, and some have been with us since the beginning - over seven years ago.

When a subcontractor is working on one of our projects, an RIC employee is always there to supervise and answer any questions the subs or the client may have. We tell our clients that when we start a project, we get a key and the alarm code and our clients can go on about their lives like normal without missing work, skipping vacations or doing anything else they had planned. This system gives our clients a sense of comfort about who is in their home. It also streamlines the process so the client doesn’t have to search for an expert to take care of a single aspect of their renovation. We manage every aspect of the project from beginning to end, so even when subs are involved, it’s a seamless process for our clients.

We are proud of the work that we do, but we are also proud of the work our subcontractors do. We’ve worked hard to find experts in a wide variety of fields who offer the best service and final product to our clients. For specific information on who we subcontract with, visit our website.