agchouston.org Summer 2025 Cornerstone 23 1. They Have Good Reputations, Referrals and References This may seem like an obvious one (and, on the surface, it is) but asking the right questions for your business when getting referrals and references takes a bit of strategy. “I always remind myself of the quote, ‘You’re only as good as your last job,’” says Jay Lee, project manager at Gilbane Building Company. “If trade partners have done great work on the last job — finishing it on time, on budget, promises kept, good management of field staff — they will most likely do a great job on the next project.” It’s also a good idea to make sure subs fit the level of quality required for the job; miscommunication, last-minute changes or complete fixes can all have huge finan- cial implications, and can damage the reputations of everyone involved. Trusting your gut intuition can be helpful in certain scenarios. When talking with trade partners, their answers should be given from experience and knowledge, and not just saying what they think the GC wants to hear. There’s no shortcut, though, for taking the extra step to go see a sub’s work. Everything from how clean they keep their jobsite to how they store their mate- rials can be an indicator of the job they’ll do and the quality of their work. 2. They Communicate Well One of the biggest complaints within the construction industry is a lack of communication, and it’s an issue that a good general contractor can easily miti- gate by hiring subs who understand the importance of communication. Matt Gressler, project manager and drywall estimator for Marek Brothers Systems, LLC, believes there’s no such thing as “too much” communication between a sub and a GC. This is espe- cially true when unavoidable issues arise, as letting problems linger unresolved can derail many aspects of a project. “Communication can impact material deliveries, production and how you inter- act with other people on the team. So, it’s crucial to be transparent, honest and open to create good communication,” Gressler says. “Bad communication is really just no communication. A good rule of thumb that I try to follow to avoid poor communication is, even if I don’t have anything yet, I will still provide an update if I’m coming up on a deadline.” Jordan Attar, preconstruction man- ager for McCarthy Building Compa- nies, Inc., agrees with Gressler and knows how much trust GCs put in subs. “At the end of the day, our trade partners are the experts at those work categories,” says Attar, who oversees estimators and works with design teams and clients to make sure expectations across functions line up and are within budget. “They’re the ones that know the trade like no other, so we rely on them to provide us that feedback on whether or not the design aligns with what’s feasible.” 3. Their Pricing, Scope and Quality of Work Meet Your Expectations As a general contractor, dealing with unexpected issues is part of the job. Working well with a sub means there aren’t any surprises to sort out at the end of the job. A quality sub will understand the importance of getting everyone on the same page about what needs to be done and any changes along the way. When that doesn’t happen, however, it costs everyone involved both time and money. A good way to keep everyone on task without surprises is to put every- thing in writing. Not everyone can visualize a floor plan in 3D, so having something written down and agreed upon is crucial. Additionally, as the job progresses, you can update with change orders. Conversely, it’s difficult for all parties to try to work off an idea in someone’s head. It’s unlikely you, the client and all your subs will have the same idea without working out the details on paper, so put it in writing and save everyone the trouble of trying to sort things out later. McCarthy Building Companies uses what they call “scope sheets” which fully list what each work category entails for every item; each document is extremely detailed and even includes costs to mini- mize potential confusion or conflict later. Additionally, McCarthy then issues those scope sheets to trade partners with a request that they be completed. The partners include their prices on each item and can note whether or not they’re able to complete the scope of work outlined. “From a quality standpoint, we have a lot of our trade partners go through our prequalification process to identify Ensuring that subcontractors are not only experienced but also licensed and ensured is important, especially with critical systems like electrical.
