Which to hire: the short version
| Your job | Hire | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One trade: a panel, a water heater, a reroof | The trade contractor directly | No coordination to pay for; the trade pulls its own permit |
| Two or more trades: a kitchen, a bath, an addition | A general contractor | It schedules the trades, carries the permit and answers for the result |
| You want to run the job yourself | Subcontractors directly, as owner-builder | Possible, but you take on the GC's legal duties; read the owner-builder guide |
The state rules on who must subcontract
These are the rules from the official pages we read. They decide whether "we do it all in-house" is legal.
| Where | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| California | A B general building contractor may take a prime contract for "two or more separate and unrelated trades", or for framing or carpentry. Otherwise it must hold the specialty licence or subcontract "with an appropriately licensed specialty contractor". Fire protection (C-16) and well drilling (C-57) always need the specialty licence or a licensed sub | CSLB Fast Facts, updated 04/25 |
| Florida | Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, pool and air-conditioning work must be subcontracted unless the contractor holds that certificate. A general, building or residential contractor may install shingle roofing on a new building it built, but may not advertise as a roofer without a roofing licence | F.S. 489.113(3)(b), (g) |
| Washington | Every contractor registers with L&I; a specialty contractor "can work only in their registered specialty and cannot hire subcontractors" | L&I, Register as a Contractor |
| Tennessee | Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing subcontractors need a state licence when their part is $25,000 or more; masonry at $100,000 | TN Board for Licensing Contractors |
| Chicago | The GC licence class caps the project value, counting "materials and labor from all contractors and subcontractors on related work at the same site" | Chicago DOB |
| Columbus, Ohio | On 1–3 family homes, the city's General Contractor licence covers only coordinating subcontracted licensed trades; a firm that frames your addition itself needs a Home Improvement General licence | Columbus BZS |
Two practical readings. A California remodeler with only a B licence can lawfully do your whole kitchen, because a kitchen involves several unrelated trades; it cannot lawfully take a rewire on its own. And in Florida, a general contractor who says its own crew will do the plumbing should show you its plumbing certificate.
What the permit file shows about subcontracting
On a job with several trades, each trade permit is usually pulled by the firm licensed for it, so the trade files carry long lists of firms of their own:
| City | Remodel firms | Electrical firms | Plumbing firms | Electrical permits held by the 5 busiest firms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL | 1,475 | 1,029 | 1,002 | 11.0% |
| Sacramento County, CA | 864 | 936 | 175 | 14.8% |
| Orlando, FL | 800 | 751 | 468 | 29.3% |
| Cape Coral, FL | 313 | 311 | 186 | 32.6% |
Trade jobs are also smaller and faster than the remodel around them. In Miami the usual electrical permit was filed at $6,000 and closed in 184 days, against $15,000 and 182 days for a remodel. So when you look up a remodel at your address, expect several permits with several names, and check that each one reached a final.
The risk subcontractors bring: liens
A subcontractor or supplier who is not paid may be able to record a mechanics lien on your house, even if you paid the general contractor in full. California's rule shows what to do. Subcontractors and suppliers must send you a Preliminary Notice; "if subcontractors and suppliers don't provide you with the notice, they lose the right to file a lien" (CSLB). Before each payment, collect a conditional lien release from each one who sent a notice, and an unconditional release once they are paid. Lien rules differ by state; your licence board or county recorder has yours.
Check it in five minutes
- Ask the general contractor which trades it will subcontract, and for each subcontractor's name and licence number.
- Check each licence on the state board's lookup; our verification guide links every state's.
- Look up each subcontractor on your city's compare page, for example Miami electricians, and check its finished share.
- After the job, search your address on the city's permit portal and confirm every trade permit, not just the building permit, has a final. Our did my contractor pull a permit guide has the links.
Compare Miami remodelers and the permits they finished →
What this does not tell you
The permit file does not say who was a subcontractor to whom: a trade firm on your remodel's electrical permit could have been hired by the general contractor or by you. We read the subcontracting rules of four states and two cities; elsewhere, check your licence board. Nothing here is legal advice about a lien.
How we know this
Firm counts, filed values and days to final come from the City of Miami, Sacramento County, City of Orlando and City of Cape Coral permit files, three-year windows ending September 2026. "Firms" counts distinct contractor names on that trade's permits; the 5-firm share is the share of permits filed by the five firms with the most. State and city rules are quoted from the CSLB, Florida Statutes, Washington L&I, Tennessee, Chicago and Columbus pages under Sources, read 20 to 22 October 2026.
Numbers come from City of Miami building permits (since 2014); Sacramento County building permits on single-family, duplex and townhouse homes in the unincorporated county (the County's Accela permit layer); City of Seattle (SDCI) building, trade and electrical permits on single-family and duplex homes (the city's open-data exports); City of Columbus Building & Zoning Services permits on 1-, 2- and 3-family homes (the city's Accela permit layer), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- What is the difference between a subcontractor and a general contractor?
The general contractor signs the contract with you, runs the job and is responsible for the whole of it. A subcontractor signs with the general contractor to do one part, usually a licensed trade such as electrical, plumbing or roofing. In Miami, 1,475 firms filed remodel permits in three years and 1,029 filed electrical permits: on a remodel, the trade permits often carry the subcontractor's name.
- Is it cheaper to hire subcontractors directly instead of a general contractor?
You skip the general contractor's fee, but you take on its job: scheduling, permits, and making sure each trade is licensed. We know of no official figure for the saving. The legal risk is real: a California owner-builder who hires anyone other than licensed contractors on work of $500 or more may be treated as their employer (B&P 7044, per San Francisco DBI). See our owner-builder guide before you try it.
- Does a general contractor have to subcontract electrical and plumbing?
In Florida, yes, unless it holds that trade's licence: a contractor 'shall subcontract all electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, swimming pool, and air-conditioning work' (F.S. 489.113(3)). In California, a B general building contractor can take an electrical-only or plumbing-only contract only if it holds that specialty licence or subcontracts to a licensed specialty contractor (CSLB).
- Do subcontractors need their own license?
Usually. In Tennessee, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing subcontractors need a state licence when their part is $25,000 or more, masonry at $100,000. In Washington, every contractor must register with L&I, and a specialty contractor 'cannot hire subcontractors'. Ask the general contractor for each subcontractor's licence number and check it.
- Can a subcontractor put a lien on my house if I paid the general contractor?
In California, yes, if it sent you a Preliminary Notice and was not paid. CSLB says subcontractors and suppliers who don't send the notice 'lose the right to file a lien'. Get a conditional lien release from each one before you pay, and an unconditional release after.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- How to check a contractor's license in Ohio
- Columbus, Ohio contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- What's a good completion rate for a contractor? The benchmarks from 12 trades and cities
- Contractor didn't finish the job: what to do, and what the permit file shows
For one city
- Fast Facts: What Jobs "B" General Building Can/Cannot Perform — CSLB (updated 04/25) (accessed 2026-10-22)
- Florida Statutes 489.113 Qualifications for practice; restrictions (2026) (accessed 2026-10-22)
- Register as a Contractor — Washington L&I (accessed 2026-10-22)
- Subcontractors / Who is Required to be Licensed — Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (accessed 2026-10-20)
- General Contractor License — City of Chicago Department of Buildings (accessed 2026-10-22)
- Contractor Licenses — City of Columbus Building and Zoning Services (accessed 2026-10-21)
- How to Prevent a Mechanics Lien — CSLB (accessed 2026-10-21)