It is not at all uncommon for a submarine to leave a month, 45 days, or even 60 days before paying for its work. This high-credit system places an atrocious burden on a subcontractor or supplier. Independent contractors work for themselves, but are hired by an employer to carry out a project or for a certain period of time. These contractors set their own rates and schedules for work and payment. As a rule, they are paid through a company`s accounts payable. This independent contractor then employs subcontractors who are paid and controlled by the contractor, but who still work for the employer. It is important that an employer has a manual that reflects this. A subcontractor is a person or (in many cases) a company that signs a contract to perform some or all of its obligations under someone else`s contract. The contractor is responsible for paying the subcontractor, and the subcontractor is required to carry out certain projects for the contractor. This article contains general legal information, not legal advice. Rocket Lawyer is not a law firm or a substitute for a lawyer or law firm.

The law is complex and changes often. For legal advice, please contact a lawyer. Finally, one of the main reasons for payment disputes is late change orders or disputes over project specifications. When a subcontractor and his client are in regular communication, these things are less vulnerable. A subcontractor is a type of contractor who works in a specialized field and can be a freelancer, an independent contractor or a salesperson. While the entrepreneur maintains relationships with customers (for example. B, companies or governments), the subcontractor works with a contractor and provides their special skills for a contractual fee. The subcontractor or company reports to the prime contractor, who is responsible for managing the contract work from start to finish.

Skills: Contractors and subcontractors typically share many of the same skills in delivering a project. However, subcontractors tend to have more specialized skills in certain areas, while contractors take over the entire project and management. If a contractor manages the site, what is a subcontractor? A subcontractor works under the direction of a contractor. Here`s how it works: Choose your own work schedule: As an entrepreneur, you can choose the hours you work. While you`ll need to adjust your schedule to your clients` available hours, you usually have the option to decline what doesn`t fit your schedule. Choose the clients you work with: Entrepreneurs can also choose which clients they want to work with. In the past, if it has been nice to work with a client and they have been paid on time, the contractor may choose to work with them again. Entrepreneurs can also choose the type of work they want to do and where they want to work.

Set your own rates: Perhaps the biggest advantage of being a contractor over a subcontractor is the ability to set rates. Entrepreneurs can decide how much they want to charge for a particular job. This makes it possible to determine the profit they generate, even if they subcontract to subcontractors. Choose the subcontractors you want to work with: Contractors can decide if they want to work with subcontractors and who they want to work with. This allows them to outsource more work to subcontractors they trust and whose prices are reasonable. Spend more time managing than physical work: In many cases, contractors send most of the work to subcontractors. When this happens, the entrepreneur spends more time managing and marketing than physical labor. This ability to oversee projects rather than work directly on them is very attractive to many professionals. Contractors and subcontractors are completely separate legal entities that work together to carry out a project. The biggest difference between a contractor and a subcontractor is related to hierarchy and workflow. Subcontractors are contractors who are hired (mandated) by other contractors.

As a rule, the visibility of the payment chain becomes quite dark after the subcontractors of the first stage. This makes sense – if a subcontractor hires a supplier or other subcontractor, the contractor doesn`t necessarily know. Nevertheless, these subordinate parties have the right to file a lien. Although each part of the payment chain has its own interests, in general, everyone wants the same thing: to do their job, to get paid, (briefly) to admire what they have built, and then move on to the next job. Since everyone has a common goal, it shouldn`t be too difficult to balance the details. The owner does not have to offer health insurance or other services to the contractor or subcontractor, and he does not have to face payroll taxes or other legal requirements. Because of their expertise in a particular field, they are particularly good at delivering products and services. They know exactly what materials they need, where to get them, and how long it takes them to do their jobs, not to mention access to potentially expensive tools or equipment.

Finally, it is more cost-effective for a contractor to use the services of a subcontractor or freelancer than to hire an employee because the prime contractor is not responsible for paying workers` compensation benefits, auto and liability insurance, health insurance, full-time salaries, and social security taxes for independent contractors or subcontractors. If the contractors are the managers, the subcontractors are the workers. They tend to specialize in one area of the field, which allows them to do their job quickly and correctly. Hiring subcontractors offers contractors many benefits, including mitigating project risks and reducing the overall cost of the project. In uk construction industry contract law, especially when using standard JCT form contracts, three types of subcontractors are identified: in addition to GCs and subcontractors, another role is often referred to as an «independent contractor» on a construction site. This difference in language reflects a different organizational structure in which owners hire multiple contractors. There is an important difference between the use of contractors and subcontractors. We`ve found that one of the best things contractors and subcontractors can do to work together and keep the project running smoothly is to communicate regularly early and often, and stay transparent throughout the work. .