Legal Definitions - subcontractor

A subcontractor is a person or company that is hired by a general contractor to do part of the work on a project. The general contractor has a contract with the client to complete the project, but they may not have all the skills or resources needed to do everything themselves. So, they hire subcontractors to help them.

For example, if a general contractor is building a house, they may hire a subcontractor to do the plumbing, another to lay the floors, and another to install the electrical wiring. Each subcontractor has their own contract with the general contractor, and they are responsible for their own work.

Subcontractors are independent and not employees of the general contractor. They are responsible for their own taxes, insurance, and other expenses.

Subcontracting is common in many industries, including construction, manufacturing, and software development. It allows companies to work on larger projects and bring in specialized expertise as needed.