Discover the 3-layer contractor team framework and the exact 3 interview questions that reveal quality teams.

When you hire a contractor, you're not hiring one person—you're hiring an entire team. Your contractor is the orchestrator. The employees, subcontractors, and suppliers are the musicians. The strength of those relationships directly impacts your project timeline and quality.

In Episode 47 of Your Home Building Coach, Bill Reid reveals the 3-layer framework of quality contractor teams and shares the exact 3 interview questions that tell you whether a contractor has actually built a quality team or just maintains a phone list.

You'll discover:

• The 3-layer structure: employees (core execution), subcontractors (specialty trades), suppliers (material management)

• Why contractor team longevity directly translates to your timeline

• The critical role of the job foreman

• How to evaluate employee structure, longevity, and willingness to introduce you

• What real subcontractor relationships look like (5+ years, backup plans, payment history)

• Why inserting yourself into material sourcing creates hidden liabilities

• How contractor teams connect back to expertise and project management

• How to avoid the lowest bidder trap

This episode builds on Episode 46 (Contractor Attributes: Expertise, Project Management & Team Building), where we explored the three pillars of contractor quality.

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Mentioned in this episode:

The Awakened Homeowner Book

The Awakened Homeowner Book

All right, welcome back everyone. Bill Reed here. And if you've been following along with this contractor series, you know we've been building a really solid foundation

for making one of the most important decisions you'll make for your project, choosing who's going to actually build your home. So last episode in episode 46, we pulled back the curtain on the attributes of a quality general contractor. And we talked about three things, expertise, project management, and team building. And here's what happened. We dove deep into the expertise and the project management, but team building?

Well, I said it's so important that it deserves its own episode. And so here we are. Here's the thing. Most homeowners walk into an interview with a contractor thinking they're hiring one person to build their home. That person shows up, swings a hammer, directs traffic, and builds a house.

That's not what's happening, not even close. You're actually hiring an entire team, a carefully orchestrated group of employees, subcontractors, and suppliers that your contractor has spent years assembling. And by the end of this episode, you're going to understand exactly who these people are,

why your contractor's relationships with them matter to your project, and most importantly, what questions to ask during that interview that'll tell you whether this contractor has built a quality team or they've just got a list of phone numbers.

So let's start here. Your contractor didn't build the last three homes in your neighborhood. Their whole entire team did. Your contractor is the orchestrator, but the musicians are everyone else. And here's the thing that most homeowners completely miss. The strength of that team is what you're actually paying for when you write that contractor a check.

See, a lot of folks think they're buying the contractors time and expertise. And yes, that is part of it. But the real value, it's the network. It's the relationships. It's the fact that this GC has spent 10, 15, 20 years building trust with the same plumber, the same electrician, the same roofing crew, and maybe, you know,

and the same lumber supplier. So why does that really matter? Because those relationships translate directly to your timeline and your quality. When a contractor calls a sub they've worked for a decade, That sub knows they're going to be scheduled properly. That job is going to be ready for them and they're going to get paid on time. So they show up, they do the good work. They're a...

partner in the success,

So that is what we're unpacking today.

All right, so here's the framework. A contractor's team consists of exactly three types of professionals. You've got employees, people on the actual contractor's payroll, you've got subcontractors, licensed specialty contractors who come in for specific trades, and you've got suppliers, the folks who provide all of the materials.

These are the three completely different relationships. They serve three different functions and understanding how your contractor manages each one is gonna tell you volumes about whether there's someone you can trust. Let's start with the employees.

These are the people on your contractor's payroll. They're full-time or regular part-time and they perform the core work.

typically the carpentry, framing, windows, doors, and the finish work on the project. So here's something most people don't realize. In the construction industry, we've got a real problem on our hands. The average construction worker in this country is over 50 years old. So we're all aging out, and I'm one of them. And here's the critical part. Not enough young people are entering the trades. It's a nationwide issue.

that I hope gets addressed with better wages, trade schools, and more women in the industry. And now we're getting a little help from AI because they're basically killing off a lot of the white collar jobs. So those young people out there that think you want to be a software engineer and move to Silicon Valley and make a bunch of money, you might want to think again. You might want to think about how to work with your hands, understand a trade, how to run a business, because I got to tell you,

wages for construction workers is going to do nothing but go up while other white collar and other jobs are going to completely disappear.

A contractor with their own employees, their own crew, they have more control. They have more consistency. If your contractor has a crew of carpenters who've been with them for years and they're handling your

Framing your windows your doors your finished carpentry. That's in their hands. They can control the schedule they can control the quality That's real value. So if you're looking at a contractor and you ask them about their employee structure here's what you're looking for a Hierarchy, usually it starts with a job foreman. That's the supervisor for your specific project

Then you have journeymen, apprentices, and laborers. The foreman is absolutely critical to your experience. And this person is on your site every single day. They see the actual application of the plans happening in real time. They're the GC's right hand. And sometimes they are the GC if it's a really small organization. And here's kind like a pro tip. If you want to bond with this person, bring water to the crew,

⁓ You know build that relationship because that foreman is going to be your advocate on the job site and remember these guys in the field the whole objective of you planning your project properly of architects doing their job the architects consultants doing their job is these people in the field are designed mentally and physically to execute a plan not to improvise too much

on the job site and quote unquote designing on the fly. This is a common problem in this business. Just kind of like a side note there.

But here's something else. So the longevity matters, right? Has this GC been able to keep the same team? If a contractor is constantly replacing their crew, that's a warning sign. It means either they're not great to work for or they're not running projects well enough to keep people loyal. So when you're interviewing contractor candidates, dig into this, ask about their people, ask about their foreman.

who would be on your project. Ask how long these folks have been together. And you'll also, by asking these kind of questions, you're going to open up a dialogue and a conversation, and hopefully that contractor will be able to explain more about their company as a whole.

Now let's talk about subcontractors. So these are the specialty trade contractors, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, which is heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, roofing, tile, and really dozens more that come into the project as part of the team, as part of that orchestra sitting in the orchestra pit with your general contractor as the conductor.

These individuals are all licensed or they should be. They're all skilled. And here's the key difference from employees. They bounce between projects. Your GC brings them in when it's time for their specific trade. And when they're done, they move to the next job. This matters because it changes the dynamic. A sub doesn't stay on your site for the entire project. They come, they do their thing, they leave.

So the GC's job is to coordinate when they come and make sure the project is ready for them. And here's the thing that most GC's don't do well. And it's a really is kind of a massive problem. If a sub shows up and the job site isn't ready for them, if the prep work isn't done, if the materials aren't there, what do you think they do? They leave, they walk, they go to another job where they're going to make more money that day. And now your timeline.

blown up so a qualified general contractor brings a pre-qualified network of trusted subcontractors to the table these are the folks they've worked with for years and because of that relationship because the GC has a history of scheduling accurately having materials ready and paying them on time that's a big one those subs want to work for that GC

So on a custom home project, you could have 10 to 30 different specialty subcontractors coming through. It could be framing, could be plumbing and electrical and HVAC and insulation and roofing and tile and finished carpentry sometimes. The list goes on and on and coordinating all of that,

That's where a good GC shines. That's part of what you're paying for. Now, here's where homeowners do get into trouble. Some folks see a chance to save money and they try to hire their own subs. Maybe they find an electrician on Yelp or a buddy recommends a plumber and they think, well, I'll just hire them directly. That can create total chaos in a project because now you've got a sub.

who doesn't have the same relationship with your GC the GC can't control them the same way the communication breaks down the scheduling gets confused and guess what your GC's a little less responsible for the outcome because you mucked with the team that's mucked with an ⁓ by the way don't do that let your GC bring the team

Alright, here's a picture word for you. Think of suppliers like mama bird. The subs and crews are hungry for materials and if they don't get them, well you know the rest, nothing happens. Suppliers provide everything. Concrete for your foundation, lumber for your structure, electrical materials, plumbing materials, roofing insulation, interior finishes, all of it. Now here's what most people also don't realize.

Materials represent a significant portion of your project cost and this is critical. Materials are the number one critical path item on your schedule.

You can have the whole crew sitting on your job site ready to go, but if the lumber isn't there, nothing happens. If the cabinets aren't there, the cabinet installer walks. If the roofing materials aren't there, the roofer goes to another project. It's really that simple. So a qualified contractor has longstanding relationships with suppliers. They pay them on time, they communicate early, they order materials strategically,

And because of that relationship, those suppliers prioritize their orders. When your GC calls and says, I need this material on this date, that supplier makes it happen. Now keep in mind, in the previous episode, I talked about scheduling. And this is how a contractor is able to do this in the first place, because they've created a project schedule, as I mentioned in the past episode.

and within that schedule they have tasks, install cabinets for example but in order to install the cabinets you need the cabinets so they've assigned tasks within the schedule about when to order the cabinets based on the lead time so hopefully you're getting the idea here is this is all part of the project management aspect which is then enforced with a team

So now I'm going to tell you something that's going to sound a little harsh, but it's the truth.

There's one way to really undermine the value your builder brings and that's by inserting yourself into the supply chain. I've seen homeowners try to do this for a variety of reasons, usually cost. They think, well, I can find a cheaper lumber supplier or I can buy my own kitchen cabinets.

And what happens? Chaos, hidden liabilities, confusion about specifications, materials that don't match, materials that arrive too late. And the reality is, unless you're an experienced in this area, I recommend you resist that temptation.

You can obsess over what you want. You absolutely should. Make decisions, specify what you love, but leave the ordering to the pros so that the entry door you love actually fits. So the paint color you picked is actually available. So the material arrives when it's supposed to. And here's the hint from the book, a prevalent contributor to a poor construction experience.

is the absence of material specifications when it's time to place the orders. So if you haven't locked in exactly what you want during the design phase, you're creating delays and problems down the road. So focus on decisions during design. Document everything. Your contractual will then be empowered to meet your expectations.

Okay, so here's where this becomes actionable. You now understand that the team composition is critical. So when you sit down with a contractor candidate, here are the three questions that tell you whether they've actually built a quality team. Question one, employees. Ask them, walk me through your employee structure. Who's on your team? How long have they been with you?

And who would be the foreman on my project? Now, when they answer, listen for a few things. First, longevity. Have they kept the same core team for years? Those years really do matter. Second, specific names and roles, not vague descriptions. They should be able to name their people. Third, pride in the team. Do they talk about their crew with a respect and affection?

And fourth, willingness to introduce you. A confident GC will introduce you to the foreman before work even starts. That's a really good sign. And if their answer is vague, if they're constantly replacing crew members, if the foreman changes per project, those are the red flags. Question two, subcontractors. Ask them, walk me through your subcontractor team. How long have you worked with your core subs and what happens if one of them falls through?

Listen for the years of relationship, ideally that five, 10, 15 or plus year number with a core team. Listen for backup plans. Do they have a second tier subs they call if someone's not available? Listen for confidence and comfort in their answer and listen for them to mention payment history. I pay my subs on time so they prioritize my projects as an example.

And then a red flag, of course, if they say they shop for the cheapest sub each project, or if they don't have established relationships, that contractor is not building a team, they're just hiring people. And then question three, material sourcing. Ask them, how do you handle material procurement? And what happens if homeowners want to buy certain materials themselves? Listen for a clear process. They should have a structured approach to sourcing. Listen for discussions of lead times.

They should understand material availability and how long things take. Listen for a strong boundary about homeowner sourcing. A good GC will push back on this. They'll explain why it creates problems. And listen for them to reference their supplier relationships. I've worked with these suppliers for years and because of that, I get priority on orders. And then of course the red flags. If they're too flexible about buying materials, they should push back.

or if they're vague about lead times and availability, those are the warning signs. So there you have it. Three questions.

that's your window into whether a contractor has actually built a quality team. And here's the bonus. Their answers are going to tie directly back to the three pillars we've talked about in episode 46. Expertise, project management, and team building. A contractor with strong team relationships is inherently going to have a better project management because their people are aligned with them.

All right, so here's what we've covered today. A contractor's team consists of three groups, employees who execute the core work, subcontractors who handle the specialties, and suppliers who keep everything flowing. The strength and longevity of those relationships directly impacts your project timeline and quality. And when you sit down to hire a contractor, asking about their team composition, this tells you more about their true value.

than almost anything else.

and why you should put value on these aspects of a contract.

It's not all about getting six different bids on a project and going with the cheapest one. It's so enticing to look at that lowest number on your bid. But inevitably, if you select the lowest bidder or even the second to the lowest bidder, if you're getting six bids, you're setting yourself up for disappointment, for missed expectations and potentially a disaster.

If you want to dive deeper into this in section three, the world of construction and even section four options for hiring your team goes into even more detail on team composition. You can grab that, you know, wherever you get your books. And if you're serious about preparing for your contract or interviews, head over to the website, take a look at some of my blog articles and my previous podcast episodes. And

this will give you even more insight. So between reading the book and reading some of the blog articles, where I expand even more on the book and podcast by writing in more detail about what I'm talking about today and all the past episodes.

And as always,

have a question about contractor teams or a story about a team that made all the difference on your project, send me an email at www.reidattheawakenedhomeowner.com and I read every message and some of the best stories might just end up in a future episode. And you can also join our Facebook community at The Awaken Homeowner. Lots of homeowners there, sharing their real experiences.

Now in the upcoming episodes, I'm hoping to have a guest, another guest, did a guest a few weeks ago. I'll have another guest online, a contractor that operates a design build business. And we're going to get some real deep insights into how a contractor really feels when it comes to dealing with homeowners. What's important to him when

⁓ meeting with a homeowner for the first time. And I think that's going to be a really insightful episode. All right, folks, that's what we've got for you today. You've got a solid understanding of contractor teams. You've got three killer interview questions. You know what to listen for. Now go out there and ask the right questions. Get to know the teams behind the contractors you're evaluating. And remember, once again, I'm Bill Reid with The Awakened Homeowner.

And I'm here to enlighten, empower, and protect. That's what we're all about. So let's go out there and make it happen.