A contractors and a subcontractor are each a professional in construction and other sectors that work in unison to finish a project. Although they might share related responsibilities, there are some primary differences between their roles.
What is a Contractor?
A contractor is an individual a business or person hires for a particular project. Instead of working in-house as a full-time employee, a contractor is brought in through a contractual agreement. Whereas contractors can work in any sector, the terminology is typically used in construction to describe the person supervising the job site, usually referred to as a general contractor.
What is a Subcontractor?
A subcontractor is an individual that gets their work through a contractor. Instead of going out to locate clients by themselves, subcontractors work with contractors to manage portions of their jobs. Subcontractors usually have a particular set of skills and network with contractors that require their area of expertise to finish a project. Contractors and subcontractors are in other sectors also. For instance, a company might hire a contractor to assist them with rebranding. The contractor could then hire subcontractors—like a graphic designer, a website creator, and an editor—to assist with the project.
Contractors vs Subcontractors
Below are some of the primary differences between subcontractors and contractors:
Responsibilities
Contractors are responsible for locating clients and hiring trustworthy subcontractors. These subcontractors are accountable for completing the appointed contract effectively and on time. Typical accountability of a contractor comprise of:
- Bargaining contracts with clients
- Offer the required materials and labor for projects
- Hiring subcontractors for specific projects
- Overseeing the day-to-day of a job site
- Oversee a project’s timeline, payments and cash flow
Common duties of a subcontractor comprise of:
- Comply with the terms of the subcontractor agreement.
- Often communicating with the general contractor and customer.
- Adjust to policy and procedural changes as required.
- Carry out labor and complete construction projects by their deadlines.
- Stay within a fixed budget.
Type of Work
Contractors carry out mostly supervisory work around construction sites, whereas the subcontractor oversees the specialized labor required to complete a project. Subcontractors may have more specific areas of expertise, including:
- Electrical work, like installing light fixtures
- Carpentry, like installing wood flooring
- Painting
- Tiling
- Plumbing
- Installation of appliances
- Landscaping
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