A study of effectiveness and implication of total sub/sub-labour for construction projects / Mohd Fairuz Othman

Being successful as a contractor can be difficult for the most experienced business owner. For individuals just starting out, or with limited experience in business matters, success might seem unreachable. Survival ^ can depend on experience; experience that many contractors don't have. It is unusual for main contractor to carry out all the work with his own labour, except when the job is very limited and simple. A few companies have no workmen on their own payrolls and sub-let all the various lines to other contractors. A few, at the other extreme, have all the workmen on their own payrolls and sub-let nothing. The majority however, do all the laying out and superintending and some of the work with their own men. In some countries, for example Malaysia, America, India, England, the Commonwealth countries, and generally in Malaysia, all the work is let by the client to a single contractor. The contractor then sub-lets work to other contractors. Usually the main contractor carries out the main trades, masonry, concreting, excavating and carpentry with his own labour and sub-lets some of the finishing and the servicing trades. Sometimes the main contractor will sub-let virtually all the operations, he himself being responsible for organizing the work. This type of sub-contracting is known as total sub.