Working with Subcontractors
Oftentimes, remodelers will handle small scale projects themselves or with an in-house team. Larger projects, however, can require the expertise of an outside subcontractor.
Hiring a subcontractor can help speed up your project timeline and get the work completed in an efficient manner.
Subcontractors are specialized in their specific trade, so hiring a sub frees you up to focus on managing the project itself.
Not sure where to start?
We’ve put together a few tips for when you're working with subcontractors!
Provide a project scope
Your project can come to a standstill if you're left waiting for your contractor to give you a quote. Reach out to your sub as soon as you have an idea of the work required, so you can find out how they will price your project.
You can save time by offering your subcontractor a detailed scope of work ahead of time. This way you aren't waiting on your sub to come to the site to give you a price.
Include information like square footage of framing, number of fixtures to be installed, specifics of any challenges they may run into, etc.
Clear Estimates offers detailed reports you can easily provide to your sub ahead of time!
To print a subcontractor proposal, simply sign into Clear Estimates and head to Reports > Subcontractor.
Subcontractor reports can have their own specific markup, boilerplate language and item descriptions!
Request detailed bids
Request as much detail as possible from your sub - including materials, labor, and project timeline. A clearly defined job scope can help avoid miscommunication.
Once you have your subcontractor’s cost breakdown, just add it into your estimate!
Any part in your Clear Estimates project can include material, labor, or an optional subcontractor cost. This makes it easy to quickly plug in your sub’s rate!
This guide shows how to add subcontractor cost in Clear Estimates:
How to Add Subcontractor Cost
Many contractors will also mark up the rate provided by their sub.
Clear Estimates makes this process easy! Once you've added your subcontractor's cost to your estimate, you can then apply a specific “subcontractor cost” markup. See how here!
Only subbing part of the work?
A subcontractor might only focus on one aspect of your project, so you may not need to provide them with the full details of the job.
Clear Estimates Pro offers custom part filters & reports you can print from your estimates, making it easy to create a report showing only specific part categories or part types.
This is handy when you need to print out a list of specific items for your subcontractor!
Take a look at this guide on custom filtering & reports, available on Clear Estimates Pro:
Pro Feature - Custom Filters & Reports
Prepare a written contract
Having a written contract can help avoid misunderstandings, and it protects your interests as well as your subcontractor’s.
Outline the project scope, details and expectations in a formal contract. Include info like payment terms, project timeline, workmanship expectations, liabilities and general terms.
With Clear Estimates, you can easily add contract language to include on the document you share with your subcontractor!
Want to learn more? Here's an overview on setting up Boilerplate Language in Clear Estimates!
Still curious how to handle subcontractors when working in Clear Estimates?
Take a look at this quick user guide!
Using Clear Estimates, you can accurately estimate any remodeling project - whether you’re working independently, hiring subcontractors, or using an in-house team!
