Should I hire a general contractor or specialist for my renovation?

General contractors for complex projects

General contractors manage multiple trades and coordinate scheduling. Use them for whole-home renovations or projects spanning electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and finishing. They obtain permits and handle inspections. The trade-off: they mark up specialist labor and may lack deep expertise in any single area.

Specialists for focused work

Hire a specialist—electrician, plumber, mason—when the job is specific to one trade. Kitchen cabinet installation, deck building, or electrical rewiring. Specialists often complete work faster and may catch issues generalists miss. You pay direct labor rates without markups.

Mixed approach

For moderate projects, hire a specialist as the lead and bring in other specialists as needed. You coordinate, but save on general contractor fees. This requires more time on your part managing schedules.

Decision factors

If you need permits or inspections, generalists handle bureaucracy. If work requires coordinating multiple trades simultaneously, a general contractor simplifies scheduling. If the job is straightforward and single-focus, specialists are usually cheaper and faster. Interview both and compare costs.