Is it better to entrust a site to a general contractor or to different service providers?

Insofar as the construction of a building is broken down into as many lots as there are construction trades, it is necessary to decide beforehand whether or not they will be carried out by the same legal entity. Indeed, the implications for the organization of the site are not the same, in particular for the architects and the project managers responsible for the conduct and proper execution of the work.

The general contractor: a single point of contact

The first option is to look for a single building company capable of providing all the services provided for in the execution plans.

Also known as a "general contractor", the general contractor takes charge of all construction work, from structural work (foundations, roofing, etc.) to finishing work (plumbing, electricity, etc.). As the sole contractor, it guarantees their proper execution. However, the project manager will have to deal with only one person during the course of the work: the company's site manager. In this, site monitoring and meetings are facilitated since it will only be addressed to one person, whatever the nature of the work concerned. Also, the acceptance of the work will be done with the sole site manager.

Likewise, the time devoted to consulting companies is simpler, since it is significantly reduced. Indeed, the call for tenders boils down to studying the proposals of a few companies, against several dozen in separate trades. However, the proposed budget envelope is often about 10% higher. This generally corresponds to the savings made by the project owner on the coordination of the work because of the single interlocutor.

General contractors are most often construction companies specializing in a construction trade who call on sub-contractors for lots that they do not master. Even if it does not have all the technical skills, a general contractor is in a way the conductor who directs the work and takes on all the legal responsibilities. As such, a company with a secure financial base will be better able to cope with the difficulties that can arise from a site abandonment, an accident or a bankruptcy filing by one of its subcontractors. It is also the general contractor which is required to bear the ten-year insurance.

Separate trades: several construction trades

Calling on separate trades means working differently in the preparation and organization of the site.

Unlike the general contractor, the use of separate trades requires as many calls for tenders as there are lots to be contracted. Each of the various stakeholders with whom the project manager has to negotiate is a specialist in the building sector. The procedure for consulting companies is therefore longer. But at the end of it, it will work with competent service providers who will have been chosen for their competitiveness, their know-how, but also their financial solidity. However, this does not exclude the risk of one of them filing for bankruptcy. In this event, the client will bear the consequences directly. In addition, in terms of guarantees, these are broken down by work.

By avoiding intermediaries, we can count on substantial savings. When each service of each offer is weighed, analyzed and negotiated, the project manager has a better chance of respecting the allocated budget and ensures good financial management. This is all the more realistic as each building trade is directly responsible for the quality of its work and must provide a ten-year guarantee on its work.

The realization of a site in separate trades generates specific needs when it comes to coordinating the work. It is clear that the multiplication of workers requires compliance with safety and organizational rules, from opening to acceptance of the site.

If the general contractor takes charge of the coordination of the work since it involves its employees and its own subcontractors, the use of separate trades requires a site pilot. This can be an OPC coordinator (scheduling, management, coordination) or an AMO (assistance to project management). The latter will then be responsible for advancing the work and ensuring that deadlines are met.

“Many promoters or contracting authorities wonder about the relevance of a site in general contractor or in separate building trades. The answer, however, cannot be decided. It depends on many factors, including the nature of the construction project and the allocated budget. But it goes way beyond.

In fact, project management must today meet many challenges, but also face risks associated with increasing constraints. Achieving a high energy performance building is an increasingly demanding challenge. Complying with increasingly restrictive health and safety rules exposes them to many criminal risks. As for the deadlines for carrying out the work, they must be always shorter to meet the constraints of a new, more demanding clientele. "

-Alexandre Brochot, Chairman and Co-founder of AOS