A self-performing contractor is a general contractor that uses its own employees, not subcontractors, to build key parts of a project, such as concrete, steel or carpentry. That gives the owner more control over schedule, cost and quality, especially when skilled trades are hard to find.
What is a “Self-Performing” Contractor?
Buzzwords abound, and “self-performing” is one to become familiar with. When a contractor is hired to self-perform, it means that they will provide their direct employees to complete a portion of the construction (e.g. concrete work, steel framing, carpentry, or another specialty).
Hiring a contractor to self-perform a specific aspect of construction seems like an obvious choice. These contractors typically bring in highly skilled workers who specialize in one aspect of construction. Their trade-specific experience can lead to more efficient, dependable schedules and more accurate budget information. Self-performing can give owners more direct access to specialized labor and more control over schedule and quality. The industry faces a shortage of skilled tradespeople, so relying entirely on subcontracted labor can result in schedule delays. A self-performing contractor can be more nimble and can step in more quickly to supplement labor shortfalls if needed.
However, there will always be skeptics (the non-self-performers) in the construction industry, and doubt about the effectiveness of self-performing. Below are the myths or perceived “disadvantages” about self-performing along with highlights of its true benefits.
Myths of Self-Performing Contractors
Confusion about self-performing contractors often leads to the spread of misinformation. One myth that seems to be making its rounds is the idea that self-performing contractors use a less-skilled workforce. This belief assumes that the self-performing contractor is picking subpar workers for the project or does not have their own in-house specialty team. In fact, it is often quite the opposite. Self-performing contractors utilize their own crew that specifically focuses on one aspect of construction. These contractors already know right off the bat how to get the required work done most effectively without having to “shop around” for subcontractors.
Building owners and developers also often believe that self-performed work equates to higher costs. This is untrue. By hiring a self-performing contractor, one layer of overhead and profit is removed from the construction cost since there is no additional general contractor fee on top of a subcontractor quotation. A skilled self-performing contractor will be a reliable source for true construction costs because of their direct involvement and experience in the construction process.
Benefits of Self-Performing Contractors
Hiring a self-performing contractor for your next project will save you time and money, produce higher quality results, and improve safety. Learn more about the top three benefits of self-performing contractors below.
Benefit #1: Save time: Saving time on a project benefits everyone – the architect, contractor, engineer, developer, and of course, the owner. Generally speaking, on-site work typically starts earlier when using self-performers (because there is no waiting around for biddable documents). Because self-performing contractors utilize in-house workers, they can be more nimble, communicate more effectively, and create more realistic schedules. Wondering if there’s a “right” time to start a build project? Learn more.
Benefit #2: Expertise: Along with time saved, a few other perks from increased efficiencies help reduce overall costs. A self-performing contractor has prior expertise with overseeing one trade in its entirety (e.g. concrete work from preconstruction all the way to construction completion). These contractors have accumulated a breadth of knowledge on materials, labor requirements, and market variations that may affect the project. Having this expertise allows a self-performing contractor to be a valuable resource for value-engineered ideas to save the client time and money on the project.
Increased efficiency might be the greatest benefit of choosing a self-performing concrete contractor. Just as a modern-day assembly line works at an industrial manufacturing plant, when you have specialized teams of people working on only one element or material of the final product, you start seeing massive improvements in efficiency.
If your contractor has an in-house team dedicated to working solely on concrete work, you can expect the highest quality simply because they are working together time and time again on similar projects. These teams are the masters at the concrete stage along the building’s “assembly timeline.”
The only other way to see greater efficacies than this is if the self-performing concrete team is also part of an integrated design-build firm. Sticking to the industrial factory analogy previously used, the integrated design-build team would be the entire assembly line. Want to know more about the benefits of using design-build? Here are 4 reasons to use an integrated design-build firm for your next project.
Benefit #3: Improved safety: Perhaps an over-looked advantage of working with self-performing contractors is the improved safety witnessed on-site. A concrete specialist team working as one unit for the larger firm they are employed under represent this firm’s high safety expectations while on the project site. This sets the standard for other subcontractors and provides a safer environment overall. At VIP, field crews and supervisors are OSHA-trained and work from site-specific safety plans on every project.
Looking for more tips on safety? Check out these 7 tips to improve construction safety.
What VIP Self-Performs in Syracuse & Central New York
VIP’s in-house field crews self-perform three core trades on projects within the Syracuse and Central New York region:
- Pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) erection and steel building systems. As an Authorized Varco Pruden Builder with 50 years of steel building experience, VIP has supplied and erected more than 120 PEMB structures totaling over 12.5 million SF across 13 states. That work ranges from large clear-span buildings and insulated metal panel systems to heavy crane runways.
- Concrete. Footings and foundations, machinery foundations, cast-in-place retaining walls, trenches, pits and sumps, and elevated slabs.
- Carpentry. On select projects: rough framing and heavy timber, blocking, finish carpentry and millwork.
Our crews have self-performed on projects including the 170,000 SF Nexus Center in Utica, where VIP designed, supplied and erected the PEMB portion housing three indoor sports fields; the Food Bank of Central New York warehouse and distribution facility renovation and addition in Syracuse; and the J.W. Didado Electric dispatch center and vehicle maintenance facility in Clay.
Because VIP works as a prime general contractor and construction manager and an integrated design-build firm, owners get one team accountable for the design, the schedule and the work in the field. General contractors bidding Central New York projects can also hire our crews directly through our PEMB and concrete subcontractor services.
Questions about Self-Perform Contractors
What trades do self-performing contractors typically handle? It varies by firm. At VIP Structures, our crews self-perform PEMB erection and steel building systems, concrete, and carpentry on select projects.
Can a design-build firm also self-perform?
Yes. VIP combines in-house architecture, construction management and self-performing field crews, so design decisions, pricing and field work stay with one team. Learn about design-build.
Do self-performing contractors work on industrial projects? Yes. Self-performing steel and concrete crews add great value to industrial and manufacturing facility projects, especially with machinery foundations, crane runways, and large clear-span buildings. See VIP’s industrial PEMB design-build work.
Choosing the Right Self-Performing Contractor in Syracuse
When choosing the right self-performing contractor for the job, it really comes down to one question: how well have they performed on past projects?
Interested in learning more about how VIP can assist with your next project? Contact us today!
Updated October 2026. Originally published July 2018.
