That's a fair point about asking upfront. I've inspected plenty of homes where the subcontractors clearly weren't on the same page as the main contractor, and it shows in the finished work. One thing that always makes me skeptical is when contractors push their own networks too hard without giving clear reasons why they're recommending someone. Sometimes it's just convenience for them, not necessarily quality for you.
A few months back, I did an inspection on a house where the homeowner had trusted their roofer's recommendation for a gutter installer. The roofer was solid—good reviews, clean work—but the gutters...well, let's just say they didn't exactly line up with the roofline. Turns out, the gutter guy was just someone the roofer knew socially, not professionally. It wasn't malicious or anything, just sloppy vetting.
I think your approach of casually asking for references or past projects is smart. Contractors who are confident in their network usually won't hesitate to share examples. But here's something else I'm curious about: has anyone here ever had a contractor openly admit they weren't familiar with their subcontractor's previous work? And if so, how did you handle it?
"Turns out, the gutter guy was just someone the roofer knew socially, not professionally. It wasn't malicious or anything, just sloppy vetting."
Yep, seen this happen a couple times myself. The main contractor is solid, but then they bring in someone they've barely worked with and things go sideways fast. A while back, I was on a roof replacement job where the homeowner asked directly about our siding subcontractor. Our boss admitted straight up he'd never used them before—just got their name from another roofer he trusted.
We were all a little skeptical, but at least he was honest about it. Homeowner decided to roll the dice anyway because of the honesty...and unfortunately, that siding crew didn't exactly impress. Not disastrous or anything; just sloppy details like uneven cuts and messy caulking. Boss ended up having us do some extra cleanup work to smooth things over with the homeowner.
I agree it's always smart to ask for references or past jobs beforehand, but sometimes even good contractors take chances on new subs due to scheduling pressures or availability issues. In my experience:
- Transparency matters more than anything else here. I'd rather have a contractor openly admit they're unfamiliar with someone's work than pretend otherwise.
- If they're upfront about it, you can decide whether you're comfortable taking that risk or prefer waiting for someone they know better.
- Personally, I'd lean toward caution and either wait or find my own sub if possible—especially on bigger projects like roofing or siding.
Bottom line: open communication from your main contractor is key...but trust your gut too.
Yeah, transparency is definitely key. But realistically, how do you guys handle it when your contractor openly admits they're unsure about a sub? Do you just trust their judgment or start looking around yourself...? Curious how others approach this.
"But realistically, how do you guys handle it when your contractor openly admits they're unsure about a sub?"
Honestly, been there recently with our kitchen remodel. Here's what worked for us:
First, I appreciated the honesty—better they admit uncertainty than pretend everything's fine and leave you with a mess later. But I didn't just leave it at that. I asked the contractor directly why they were unsure—was it lack of experience with this sub, mixed reviews, or something else? Getting specifics helped me feel more comfortable.
Next, I did a quick check myself. Nothing too intense—just googled the subcontractor's name, checked reviews on local forums and social media groups (neighbors are usually brutally honest, lol). Took maybe 20 minutes tops.
Finally, I circled back to my contractor with what I'd found and we talked it through. Turned out the sub was newer but had good feedback so far. We decided to give them a shot, and it worked out fine.
Bottom line: trust but verify...and don't underestimate the power of neighborhood gossip!
Good points about checking local reviews—neighbors really don't hold back, lol. I've never had a contractor openly admit uncertainty, but I did have one recommend a roofing network I'd never heard of. It was for a green roof install, and I was pretty skeptical at first...
- Did some digging online, couldn't find much info beyond their own website (red flag?).
- Asked the contractor directly why he trusted them—he said he'd heard good things but hadn't personally worked with them yet.
- Ended up calling one of their previous clients myself (they listed references). Turned out fine, but honestly felt like a gamble at the time.
Makes me wonder...how much weight do you guys put on personal references vs online reviews when vetting unknown subs?
