How Much Should You Pay Your Contractor
August 6, 2025
When in the market for the services tradesmen and contractors provide, you may discover that the company you are speaking with is not the same company that will actually complete the work you need. This is not uncommon, contractors hire other contractors and tradesmen quite regularly to help them complete the work associated with a project. However, it does not always make sense to use this arrangement.
Sometimes the customer is better served by using sub-contractors; and sometimes the customer is better served working with one company who will complete all of the tasks associated with their project. How do you know which one applies to you? Let’s quickly review a couple scenarios that will help you understand when you should consider using sub-contractors to complete your project.
Scenario #1: – Kitchen renovation
A kitchen renovation requires a lot of work, and a significant variety of different skills to complete a myriad of tasks. In the event that you are starting with the studs, you will need dry-wall, paint, plumbing, electrical, cabinets, flooring, tiling, and finish work. Each of these is a large task of its own, and each of these are considered a specialization. There are skilled and trained professionals who specialize in each of these separate trades.
You have likely heard the old adage “jack of all trades, master of none.” This conveys the idea that someone is capable of learning the skills necessary to complete many different trades at a satisfactory, or proficient level. Let’s be real though – how many of us want to buy that sales pitch: ‘When Jack is done, this will be the most satisfactory kitchen ever; just oozing proficient-ness!?’
In this scenario, employing sub-contractors makes it possible for you to have a Master working on every single aspect of your kitchen. The primary contractor is now responsible for locating, scheduling, and overseeing a train of skilled and experienced trades-masters as they collectively build you a kitchen of the highest quality. This is the sales pitch we want: ‘this will be a master kitchen of the best caliber, with notes of distinction everywhere you look.’
Scenario #2: Repairing an exterior surface
It’s not uncommon where we live, for exterior walls to experience significant dry-rot. Over time, many contributing factors can cause a once beautiful wall to literally start falling apart. In this situation you need someone to remove all decaying materials, install new materials, and ensure the best weather protection.
What I have just described for you is a service that we provide, it is a single specialization, and it is something that can be completed without the use of multiple different professionals. It would not make sense to hire someone to locate, schedule, and oversee the work of another if a singular trade is all that is needed. If you did so, you would be paying someone to do the same thing you are already doing: shopping for a service provider. In this case, the first contractor is being paid just to be a middleman between you and the contractor who will actually complete the work you need. When you need a singular specialization, it makes more sense, and it will cost you less, to go straight to the source – someone who specializes in the work you specifically need.
With these examples, you should be better prepared to find what you actually need for your home project. Just ask: How many different skills are involved? -OR- How many masters will it take to complete my project? One master = one hire; no subs. Multiple masters = bring on the subs! Unless, of course, you want Jack to do it all; in which case, let’s meet at my place.
