When you hire a contractor there’s an implied understanding that the company you have hired will supervise your job. This is not always the case. Some contractors merely broker your job (similar to the way banks sell loans) to another contractor who will actually build and manage your job. The downside of this arrangement is that the company that you’ve built a relationship with is no longer involved in your project. This can make for cumbersome communication channels to say the least.
On the other end of the spectrum, and no more reassuring, is the contractor who does everything himself; “a one man show”. How many people can do everything well? The quality of your home can be compromised when you allow a jack-of-all trades to do drywall, painting, tile, etc. instead of relying on an expert in each field. Aside from quality concerns, this can make for painfully slow progress as you wait for the contractor to finish one aspect of the job before he can start the next.
Alternatively, an experienced general contractor will combine his own company’s management and labor with a mix of subcontractors to give you the best of both worlds. This way the contractor maintains control of the project while craftsmen work side by side in the* individual areas of specialty to produce your job in a timely manner. Ultimately this provides you with the highest quality job while keeping the job length and inconvenience at a minimum.