[roland35]

That is a good point about subcontractors, many times they end up being cheaper in the long run because they do it right (hopefully). When we were renovating my home I oftentimed worked with the contractors and asked questions. Hopefully it didn't annoy them too much, but it is a great way to learn from a professional!

[bacon_waffle]

If you're handy, working with contractors can also be a good way to ensure you get the result you want. It avoids the need to either be very detailed up front, which could easily come across as condescending, or having them re-do any work that wasn't as desired.

I've hired out a few jobs on my house, and in all cases felt like "helping out" was the right move. For example we had a fireplace installed; if I hadn't been there during the process it would've been much harder to clean our chimney. Have also gotten jobs done more quickly, made connections with recommended trades people, learned about local suppliers, etc.