# Paper contractors



## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

Californiadecks said:


> More then likely we are going to still be in the trades when we are at that crossroad where we should probably be retired but can't stop. Maybe we will be in that position to paper things out. At least sub everything out, where all were doing is quality control, and in charge of the gold of course!


That's what I plan on doing . I've already put in my time ,,Just waiting for the bones to wear out!:laughing:


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## AllanE (Apr 25, 2010)

*Contracting*

I build custom and spec homes and do the occasional remodel, I subcontract 100% of my work and always have. I find subcontractors who specialize in a particular trade do better work and do it faster than hourly employees I have to manage. And yes, as a result of that in many cases they do it less expensively because they do specialize and they do the same tasks day in, day out. I can understand very small contractors doing work in-house, but if your annual volume of work gets up into the several or even few million$ range, you have to subcontract. 

Other than a few years as a teenager in the mid 60’s when I worked for a framer, I have no hands on experience. But I build a hell of a high quality home and I understand every phase very thoroughly. If this makes me a paper contractor, so be it, in my opinion this business model gives my clients the best product for the best price and makes me the most money.


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## builditguy (Nov 10, 2013)

Sometimes I wonder if this is where I'm headed. Not on purpose though. As I get older, I ache more, rest more, and just don't feel like working 6 - 7 days a week. In the last couple years I have hired more sub-contractors than ever. 
Right now I would like to start working on the job 4 days a week and use the 5th day for paperwork. 
I would say most of my customers hire me because I am on the job. To me, that is where you need to stress your advertising. You are on the job. They are dealing with you. Not paying for a middleman. Not having to worry about who might show up or how much experience they have.


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## blacktop (Oct 28, 2012)

If It's raining . He pulls up to the drive way and calls me on my cell.

That's one of the the P/C I deal with. He's teaching his son his methods..The son pulls up in his 2013 pimped out detailed...And walks in the house asking if I had a ball on my truck to pull the dump trailer down to the pavement so he could hook up . I told him to suck my a$s

Thank God I'm at the point of my life where I can pick and chose !
If I had to deal with these numb nuts on a daily basis I'd go postal!

Reality/PC Are the worst!


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## westcan (Nov 22, 2015)

What's the second word in construction contracting? What's the second word in general contracting? What's the first word in contractortalk.com? What am I getting at now?

What we do is CONTRACTING, thinking of what we do on a higher level, we make our living by identifying conditions and deliverables to satisfy, delineating risks and responsibilities between parties, coordinating timely cost effective quality delivery and communicating to provide the customer with certainty and peace of mind through to and beyond completion of the scope performed. 

Above and beyond what we build and how well we build it, there's customer service expectations to meet and exceed.

Clients want to know what you're there to deliver and how you're going to deliver it contractually, they may like a detailed schedule and project cashflow forecast and forecasts throughout the duration, along with timely cost and progress reports, and a close out package to highlight what was done.

These are areas that some paper contractors may excel in, providing good project managers that understand that it's more than just what we build and how we build it, where a lot of contractors may have the in-house trade skills for building but lack solid project management. A lot of customers can appreciate those with business sense and a project management skill set to handle their expectations and make the most out of things contractually, beyond production costs, there's value in doing good business.

A PC can be scaleable, cost competitive, and deliver the benefits of a specialized team of contractors coordinated to exceed expectations together - its hard to be good at everything, but you can find subs that are good at their thing and let them grow with you, if one is able to discern the good subs from the bad subs and control their quality.

Of coarse, we cant have one without the other, it takes all kinds.

Every person and company has their strengths and weaknesses, core competencies that benefit them, I think we all need to play to our strengths and weaknesses to make the most of the things that we can.


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## thehockeydman (Dec 19, 2012)

In my limited experience there's three kinds of paper contractors:

1. Experienced professionals who've put in their time in the trades and know what they're doing. Quality in this category varies greatly. A lot in this category never become good, as they fail to pick up many of the skills required for GC. But the ones who are able to pick up the new skills are certainly the best PCs.

2. Non-trade PC's who see being a GC as easy money. These generally are very bad at what they do, and sooner or later either wind up in a lawsuit or going out of business.

3. Non-trade PC's who put do a _lot_ of homework, are good at selling, and treat their trades well. While I've only met a small handful of these, they are among the best PC's. I think what separates the guys in this category is that they understand they rely on their subs much more than a GC with trade experience. As a result, they _really_ take care of their subs.


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## untdflrcoatings (Oct 26, 2015)

My model, for now, is sort of a mixture between being a PC and doing the work myself. I can handle small jobs myself, but don't really have the equipment to handle large scale commercial projects. I have partners to sub the work to though that have decades of experience. If I screw up a small project, I can pay out of pocket to fix it. if I screw up a factory floor that requires thousands of gallons of floor coating, that would hurt me pretty badly financially.

Eventually I hope to do it all myself, but for now, it is in my best interest, and my customers' best interests for me to handle the small stuff myself and sub out the big stuff. I take a big margin hit subbing it out, but I'm a new business, so just getting work in my portfolio is beneficial.


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