How to Find Good Subcontractors in Houston

Bad subs sink projects. Good subs build careers. The subs you work with are the business you are building, whether you think of them that way or not. Here is how a working Houston developer actually finds, vets, and keeps the subcontractors who deliver.

Where Good Subs Actually Come From

Not from Craigslist. Not from a generic search. Good subs in Houston come from four places.

• Other builders. The fastest way to a great sub is to ask a builder you respect who they use. The good ones share. The bad ones hoard, which tells you something.
• Supply houses. The countermen at electrical, plumbing, and lumber supply houses know which subs come in to buy, which subs pay their bills, and which subs the staff respects.
• Active job sites. Walk a job site at lunch. Talk to the foreman. The crew that is clean, organized, and cheerful is the crew you want.
• Trade associations and rooms. ABC Greater Houston, GHBA, and trade-specific chapters host events. Coffee & Construction Houston brings subs and builders into the same room on purpose.

How to Vet a Sub

Five things, in order.

• Insurance. Ask for a current certificate of insurance listing your entity as additional insured. If they cannot produce one in 24 hours, they are not in business.
• License. For trades that require licensure (electrical, plumbing, HVAC), verify the license is current and in good standing through the appropriate state agency.
• References. Ask for three recent project references. Call them. Ask specific questions. Did they finish on time. Did they finish on budget. Did they communicate when there was a problem. Would you hire them again.
• Walk a finished job. A picture in a portfolio means nothing. Stand in the work. Look at the cuts. Look at the corners. Look for the small details. The work tells you who they are.
• Trial them on a small scope first. Do not give a new sub the most critical scope on your most important job. Test them on a smaller piece. See how they communicate, how they bill, how they deliver.

How to Pay Subs Right

Pay on time. Always. The single fastest way to lose a great sub is to pay late. Use a draw schedule tied to verifiable milestones. Pay within the terms agreed to in the contract, every time. Subs talk. The contractor who pays late will have a smaller and smaller pool to choose from until they cannot staff a job.

How to Build a Sub Bench

For each major trade, build to two or three subs you can call. One primary, one backup, one wildcard. The primary handles your normal volume. The backup picks up overflow or fills in when the primary is booked. The wildcard is the new sub you are testing on smaller scopes. Rotate the wildcard slot. Promote the ones that earn it.

Where Subs and Builders Meet in Houston

Coffee & Construction Houston intentionally puts subs, builders, and developers in the same room. The room is The Construction Lounge. The firm is BEDDIEO Construction & Design. You can also read about my work as a Houston developer.