Building in today’s high-cost high-regulation construction environment is no mean feat. To get a project from A to B, you must navigate a complex design-build pathway.
Because of these inherent challenges, self-perform construction has emerged as a viable way to ensure that a project is finished on time and under budget, and done so without sacrificing safety and quality.
But what is self-perform construction and what are the advantages of this construction model?
Let’s review.
What Is Self-Perform Construction
As the name implies, for a self-performing project, the project’s lead general contractor (GC) will handle many, if not all of the construction activities in-house.
Instead of subcontracting the work out to specialists, they’ll instead use “their guys”—a skilled labor force who they know, trust, and control—to perform the job.
A self-performing contractor will grow a team over time and then utilize the members that specialize in that aspect of construction, whether that involves laying concrete pours, interior building fit-outs, or steel framing.
Benefits of Self-Perform Contractors?
So, why should you consider hiring a self-performing contractor for your next job?
Five advantages of this construction business structure include:
#1 Lower-Cost
Many people wrongly assume that hiring a self-performing general contractor (SPGC) will lead to increased costs.
But this is rarely the case.
In fact, by hiring SPGC you can strip a layer of overhead and profit that the contractor would otherwise add on top of the subcontractor’s quotes. Furthermore, a SPGC will be able to provide more accurate estimates since they have direct involvement and oversight of their teams.
And, finally, the SPGC will have a greater ability to control the project’s total costs. Their experience enables them to gain a thorough understanding of the material options and availability, task-related labor requirements, and market fluctuations that impact these concerns.
#2 Efficient Scheduling and Time Saving
Along those lines, costs are often magnified by project delays, idle time, and extensions.
With self-performing, there’s no waiting around for biddable documents and no halts due to subcontractor selection and onboarding.
Scheduling is more accurate, efficient, and dependable.
#3 Ensuring Safety
Naturally, safety is the chief concern for any construction project. All it takes is for a single slip and fall to delay or derail a project. For a project to be successful, the goal is to reduce if not entirely eliminate worksite accidents and injuries.
By using their own workers and instilling a culture that emphasizes job site safety, a contractor can:
Take the steps necessary to ensure that every worker has the training, equipment, and support they need to work safely and efficiently.
Instill and enforce safety standards while creating a culture of accountability.
Adhere to OSHA compliance.
Minimize legal liability.
With such a system, everyone is incentivized to identify and correct risky behaviors rather than shucking it off as “not my problem.”
#4 Project Flexibility
Construction is a quicksilver environment, subject to rapid changes in plans and schedules.
In such a dynamic landscape, contracting teams need to be agile. Self-performing contracting empowers a company to quickly adapt to changes and shifts in the project.
For example, if a client requests a major change, a self-performing contractor can quickly make the necessary adjustments without waiting for subcontractor availability.
Similarly, because of their deep bench of skilled construction workers, self-performing contractors can take on a wider array of tasks and responsibilities and have greater freedom in how they’ll approach the project.
Or, if a GC contracts out parts of the project and their sub falls behind schedule, the SPGC could then likely provide their own manpower to supplement the workforce and ensure that the project is on schedule.
#5 Project Quality
Finally, self-performing can greatly impact the project’s overall quality. Reasons for this include:
Access to a hand-picked group of vetted and talented contractors
Teams have previous experience working with their trade powers
Employees work according to the GC’s set standards
The GC is directly accountable for the performance of their teams
When it’s their people responsible for working the site, the lead contractor has an increased ability to ensure that a project is completed on time, in-budget, and at a level of quality that doesn’t just meet but exceeds expectations.
MFS Self-Perform Construction
It’s no surprise that self-construction is on the rise. By keeping as many tasks as possible beneath the auspices of the project manager, teams can take actionable steps to reduce costs, optimize schedules, and prioritize worker safety without compromising quality.
At MFS Construction, our self-perform construction capabilities extend to supervision, general construction, cost estimating, and project management. From Puerto Rico to New York our team is prepared to deliver this approach to your next project.
Want to learn more about our services? Contact our team today.