Single Firm vs Multi-Firm Renovation
What we’re comparing
- Single Firm (General Contractor + own trades/partners): One company plans, coordinates, and delivers all scopes (MEP, carpentry, finishes), with a unified contract and warranty.
- Multiple Firms (Owner-managed): You hire separate teams (electrician, plumber, tiler, etc.) and coordinate them yourself (or via a fee-only manager).
Advantages & benefits
Single Firm (General Contractor)
- Single point of accountability: One party owns design clarifications, sequencing, and defects.
- Integrated scheduling: Trades arrive in the correct order; fewer idle days and clashes.
- Quality control & compatibility: Materials/systems chosen to work together; fewer “scope gaps.”
- Unified warranty: One contact for post-handover issues.
- Compliance & safety: Permits, inspections, RAMS, insurances handled centrally.
Multiple Firms (Owner-managed)
- Perceived price flexibility: You can shop each trade.
- Niche specialists: Possible to pick top experts for specific items.
- Granular control: Direct say on who does what, if you have time and experience.
Risks (what can go wrong)
Single Firm
- Vendor lock-in: Less leverage if you don’t define specs well.
- Style/brand limits: Some GCs push preferred systems/brands.
Multiple Firms
- Scope gaps & blame loops: “Not my job”—grey areas between trades.
- Program slippage: Small delays cascade when handoffs fail.
- Cost creep: Variations multiply when drawings/details are incomplete.
- Warranty fragmentation: You mediate between 5–10 companies.
- Safety & insurance exposure: Who coordinates permits, H&S, and site induction?
- Spec inconsistency: Mixed adhesives, membranes, or controls create failures.
Cost & time impact (percentages only; baseline = Multi-Firm, owner-managed = 0%)
(For full residential renovations; ranges depend on scope clarity, site access, and market.)
- Pre-contract price (headline)
- Single Firm: typically +5–15% vs baseline (covers coordination, overheads)
- Total project out-turn (after variations, rework, delays)
- Single Firm: −5–15% vs baseline (fewer clashes/reworks, better buying power)
- Schedule to completion
- Single Firm: −15–30% vs baseline (integrated program, assured handoffs)
- Change-order volume
- Single Firm: −20–40% vs baseline (clearer inclusions)
- Defects at handover (snag count/effort)
- Single Firm: −25–50% vs baseline (one QC system)
- Post-handover maintenance in first 12–24 months
- Single Firm: −10–30% vs baseline (unified warranty & compatible systems)
- Owner time/management load
- Single Firm: −60–90% vs baseline
Residential vs commercial notes
- Residential: Comfort, finishes, and client changes are frequent—single firm absorbs coordination better.
- Commercial: Program certainty, H&S, and testing/commissioning (MEP, fire) are critical—single firm or a main contractor with nominated subs is usually safer.
When multiple firms can make sense
- Very small scopes (e.g., only bathroom + repaint),
- Owner has professional PM experience,
- Fixed, detailed drawings/specs and a locked sequence,
- Independent site supervision (paid), to close scope gaps.
Decision checklist (fast)
- Goal & horizon: rent, sell, or keep long-term (drives finish/spec).
- Detail level: do you have construction drawings, room-by-room specs, and MEP schedules?
- Risk appetite: can you tolerate overruns/rework to chase a lower headline price?
- Time available: do you have hours each week to manage trades and handoffs?
- Warranty preference: one phone number vs many.
Practical safeguards (whichever route you choose)
- Define inclusions/exclusions line-by-line (demolition, waste, protection, permits, testing).
- Coordination drawings: tile set-outs, sanitary elevations, MEP points, door/finish schedules.
- Mockups & hold points: approve bathrooms, paint, lighting scenes before full rollout.
- Change control: any change needs written scope + % impact on cost/time.
- Warranty matrix: list systems and who warrants each; target single-firm warranty where possible.
Quick recommendation
For full renovations (residential or commercial): choose a Single Firm (General Contractor with integrated trades/partners). Although the headline price is often +5–15%, the final cost, time, defects, and owner stress are typically lower (by the percentages above) thanks to unified planning, procurement, and warranty.
