Direct Labour Overview:
- Involves hiring individual tradesmen yourself, offering potential cost savings and greater control over the project.
- Requires a full-time commitment, which may result in loss of earnings.
- Projects typically take longer to complete compared to hiring a main contractor.
Cash Flow:
- Managing cash flow can be easier with a builder, who follows a payment schedule.
- With direct labor, tradesmen typically expect immediate payment upon job completion, which may not align with stage payments.
Project Management Tasks:
- Start early in finding reliable, preferably local, tradesmen.
- Expect to spend time managing and chasing subcontractors to stay on schedule.
- Check and document each subcontractor's insurance.
- Ensure secure storage space and break facilities on-site.
- Handle all health and safety duties, including managing site facilities.
- Open an account with a local builder’s merchant for materials and compare prices from multiple suppliers.
- Manage deliveries, ensuring timely arrival and proper storage of materials.
- Keep detailed records of expenses, receipts, and certifications.
- Implement waste management strategies and maximize site efficiencies.
- Invest in DIY tools and secure them properly.
- Ensure tool and scaffold hire is managed with clear health and safety responsibilities.
Responsibility:
- You are accountable for fixing any mistakes made during the project.
- Managing the snag list and calling tradesmen back can be challenging once they’ve been paid.