Self-performing general contractors not only manage every phase of the construction project, but they also do so by using their own labor forces, experts in their given field.
There are many advantages to this approach rather than choosing non-self-performing contractors, who need to hire outside crews to do the work.
When putting together your construction project there are several distinct reasons to consider working with a self-performing team.
Efficient Planning & Execution
One of the most important aspects of any contracting project is the efficient planning and execution of each moving part. Every project has many different elements that may be completed by subcontractors and may operate on a different schedule. This means it pays off when your contractor is not only personally responsible for all the different tools and schedules but has extensive hands-on experience with all of them.
Beyond just the tools, it’s the resources, labor management, land management, and all the other necessary components that make a contracting job successful. A non-self-performing contractor will have to trust and delegate these resources to other entities and other managers, who might not be on the same schedule or have the same level of talent on their teams. The fact that your self-performing contractor is using their own employees and keeping everyone on schedule, means that all jobs are being done with that much more efficiency.
Ensured Safety
It’s well known in the world of construction that job sites can be dangerous. There are big pieces of machinery, complicated tools, many different jobs happening concurrently with lots of noise and varying priorities. It can be very easy for someone to get distracted and create the potential for an accident.
The good news about a self-performing contractor is that all the safety is overseen by an in-house safety supervisor with the same responsibilities as the general manager. This in-house safety manager is going to have a much closer professional relationship with the foreman in addition to having a vested interest in keeping the job site safe.
Oftentimes these in-house safety experts will have industry experience in the exact job being performed, making them more valuable than an outside hire for safety.
Overall Cost
Self-performing contractors can help save on the overall cost of general contracting projects in unexpected ways.
The most obvious being that the contractor is working with their own team, their own tools and equipment, saving on unnecessary subcontractors and outside hires who often inflate their rates.
However, some of the more subtle ways that self-performing contractors can reduce costs on the project is through a deeply ingrained intuitive knowledge about the parts, tools, and team. A self-performing contractor knows the ins and outs of every facet of the industry and more importantly knows how his own teams like to use different tools, which parts they prefer, and which suppliers are best for each project. This knowledge can’t be bought, it’s learned through years of leadership.
This means before the project even begins, a self-performing contractor will have made key decisions that will garner the best value and performance out of not only the team but the parts and tools. This isn’t something you’ll find with a non-self-performing contractor.
Flexibility
Flexibility can be a challenge with non-self-performing contractors. If problems, setbacks, or complications occur within a particular vertical service, that stall will create a domino effect into other areas and on the project’s overall progress, possibly affecting the anticipated completion date and other desired goals.
But when you have self-performing teams who have already worked together and are familiar with one another, they tend to have greater success if problems occur because they are more agile and communicative, executing reliable workarounds to ensure that deadlines are met, and a fast completion date is reached.
Saving Time
Speaking of a fast completion date, one of the most important aspects of a contracting job is time. Efficient completion of tasks and communication between different teams is what makes the job run smoothly and creates optimum results. This becomes increasingly difficult in a non-self-performing contracting team when they must rely on other teams and the expertise of outside hires.
Controlled Quality
There’s nothing more important in a contracting job than the quality of the finished product. Self-performing contractors have experts in every specialty from concrete, interior and exterior, painting, and general construction in-house, making the overall quality of the project far superior to that of a non-performing contractor.
It all comes down to experience and professional relationships. The experts that self-performing contractors work with have been on their teams for years, and everyone has shared knowledge of the work. This makes for a smoother project and an overall better result.
Looking for a reliable self-performing contractor who gets things done right and on schedule? Call East End Group today.
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