A good turn key company can eliminate stress, headaches, scheduling problems and excessive cost to the client. Continuity of different phases of your project normally go a lot smoother in this situation as well. True “turn-key” companies are hard to find but worth searching for.
In general most companies are not “turn-key” and normally use sub contractors in lieu of their own resources and employees. Not all sub contractors are created equal so this model can cause a lot of scheduling conflicts and often times leaves the general contractor with little control over the timing of the various phases of the project. The client feels the bulk of this dilemma due to an often inefficiently run project and workers not showing up on perfectly good work days. It should be noted that general contracting can work in certain situations. However, when you’re dealing with everything from a pool, to an outdoor kitchen, landscape lighting, masonry, carpentry, irrigation and more, having as many as 10 sub contractors or more at your home vs. 1 “turn-key” contractor makes all the difference in the world.
Another mistake some homeowners make is attempting to contract each phase of their project out to different companies. The “idea” is to save money by not hiring one company to oversee the project but it normally ends up costing the homeowner a lot more financially as well as increasing the stress factor dramatically. Even if you’re a contractor yourself, this is normally not a good idea. Every field has its own level of expertise and one should strongly consider that before managing your own project.
“Turn-Key” is the best way to go. In addition to all the reasons above you also need to consider warranties and finger pointing. If you have one company performing the work, one company warranties the work. If you have a general contractor they normally defer to their sub contractor that performed the work, which can cause delays for repairs and other issues. Should you decide to contract the project out yourself it will be very confusing to figure out who is liable for what and this often results in one contractor blaming the other for unforeseen circumstances or product related problems.
When searching for a contractor make sure they are a “turn-key” company so you can rest easy and enjoy the process. They should be able to perform virtually everything with their own employees with the exception of trades such as electrical, plumbing etc. Be sure to ask your candidates what type of model they offer early in your research process so you can select who is right for you.