Remodeling Professional Guide

Be Your Own Contractor

If you decide to act as your own general contractor, you will hire subcontractors such as plumbers or drywall installers yourself. Make sure the subcontractors you hire are licensed, if licenses are required in your area.

The upside of hiring subcontractors is that you'll save the general contractor's markup. And you can choose subcontractors you know and like. The downside is that the subcontractors may not know or like one another, and there may be delays in your project as the plumber and the tile setter, for instance, squabble over who is responsible for some minor detail that holds up the whole project.

Acting as a general contractor is best for people who have a lot of time, are very organized, and want to save money.