Serving as a subcontractor on large construction projects can open doors to interesting and visible work. But get hired by the wrong guy and the paycheck might never come. Fred Squires learned this the hard way while Fingerlakes Landscape & Design was working on the Onondaga County Courthouse project in Syracuse, New York, which was grand in scope.
Squires met the contractor through a county contact, but he wasn’t really familiar with the company. Since the project was funded by federal stimulus money, he figured he was covered. But the contractor went bankrupt and Squires lost out on $124,000.
Needless to say, Squires is careful about the contractors he partners with now.
• Do your homework. “Research the companies you are bidding with,” Squires says.
• Contact suppliers. Find out whether the contractor was reliable and paid on time. “See how they are to work with,” he says.
• Call superintendents. Dig deeper and reach out to superintendents in the company to find out about how the contractor does business. “I only work for specific contractors,” he says.
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