5 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEOFRE HIRING A MULTI-TRADE SUBCONTRACTOR
Choosing the wrong interior subcontractor costs far more than the price difference between quotes. These five questions will show you quickly who can actually deliver.
1. Who is my single point of contact, and are they on site?
Why it matters: if you can't name one person who answers for every trade, you'll end up chasing.
A good answer: a named person, with direct contact details, who runs the programme.
2. What happens if the programme speeds up?
Why it matters: if one trade adds labour and the others don't, work stacks up and trades fall out of sequence.
A good answer: labour is added across all trades together, with a worked example.
3. What is the largest scheme you've delivered, and can I see it?
Why it matters: a contractor who has done 20 units may struggle at 200.
A good answer: specific unit numbers, durations and named projects.
4. How do you keep the same standard across every unit and every trade?
Why it matters: quality tends to slip as a programme runs on.
A good answer: consistent supervision and checks at defined stages, with the same team throughout.
5. What do you do when a trade falls behind?
Why it matters: every project has a bad week. The test is the response.
A good answer: a clear escalation and recovery approach, with a real example.
How we answer
One team for dry-lining, plastering, tiling and painting. One point of contact. 374 units delivered in 18 months at Royal Winchester House. Labour doubled across three trades mid-programme at Whyteleafe House.
