You already know this if you've run an electrical subcontracting business for more than a couple of years. Most of your revenue comes from a handful of general contractors who keep calling you back. Managing GC relationships isn't a soft skill you get around to when business slows down. It's the core of how you grow.
A good GC relationship means you get first call on the next project, your pay apps move faster, and problems get solved with a phone call instead of a lawyer. A bad one means you're chasing new work, fighting over change orders, and wondering why your retention never gets released.
Here's what matters, from someone who's been on both sides of the trailer.
Communication: Fast Beats Perfect
The number one complaint GCs have about subs is communication. Not quality. Not price. Communication. They want to know what's happening on their job without chasing you down.
A text back within an hour beats a perfect email the next day. If a GC asks you a question at 2pm and doesn't hear back until the following morning, they've been stressed about it for 18 hours. Stress turns into frustration. Frustration turns into "let's try a different electrician."
Be proactive about problems. If you're going to be short on material, if the rough-in is going to take an extra day, if the panel location conflicts with the plumber's work, tell them before they find out on their own. GCs handle bad news fine. Surprises are what they don't tolerate.
- Respond to calls and texts within an hour during working hours, even if it's "got it, I'll have an answer by end of day"
- Flag problems early. The earlier you raise an issue, the more options everyone has to fix it
- Confirm things in writing. A quick follow-up text or email after a phone call protects both sides
Submittals: Early, Complete, and in the Right Format
Late submittals hold up the entire project. The GC won't order materials, the architect won't approve, and the schedule slips. Everyone knows whose fault it is.
Submit them early. Include all required data sheets, cut sheets, and spec references. Match the format the GC or architect asked for. If they want a specific cover sheet or numbering system, use it. Don't make them reformat your work.
The subs who get submittals in early and complete are the ones who get their materials approved first. They start on time while everyone else is still waiting on resubmissions.
Change Orders: Get It in Writing Before You Do the Work
This is where more money gets lost than anywhere else in subcontracting. A GC walks up on site and says "add a couple of circuits to the room" or "go ahead and run the conduit, we'll figure out the paperwork later."
A verbal "go ahead" from a GC is not authorization. It's a future dispute.
Document every change in writing before you start the work. Send a change order request with the scope, the price, and the schedule impact. If the GC pushes back on the paperwork, remind them you're protecting both sides. Most GCs who've been burned before will respect it.
- Get the request in writing, even a text or email counts
- Send your price and timeline before starting the work
- Get written approval, then proceed
- Include the approved change order on your next pay app
The electrical subcontractors who stay profitable treat change order documentation like it's as important as the wiring itself. Because it is.
Schedule: Show Up When You Say You Will
Reliability is the simplest thing in the world. And it's the thing most subs get wrong. If you say you'll be there Monday, be there Monday. If you committed four guys, send four guys. Not two guys and a promise the other two are coming tomorrow.
If something changes and you won't make it, communicate early. A call on Friday saying "we won't make Monday but we'll be there Tuesday" is manageable. No-showing Monday morning is not.
The fastest way to lose a GC is being unreliable. They're juggling 15 subs, an owner breathing down their neck, and a schedule already tight. When you don't show up, you don't affect your own work alone. You affect every trade behind you. GCs remember.
Billing: Clean, Accurate, On Time
Submit clean pay apps matching the GC's format. If they use AIA G702/G703 billing, use it. If they have a specific schedule of values template, fill it out exactly. Don't give them any reason to kick your invoice back.
Common billing mistakes slowing down your payment:
- Math errors on the pay app
- Billing for work not complete or not matching the schedule of values
- Missing lien waivers or certified payroll
- Submitting after the billing deadline
- Not including approved change orders
Every mistake on a pay app is a reason for the GC's accounting team to set your invoice aside. In construction, "set aside" means you're waiting another 30 days. Submit it right the first time.
Punch List: Close It Out Immediately
When the punch list comes, drop everything and knock it out. Every day those items sit open is a day your retention stays locked up. It's also a day the GC is thinking about how you're holding up their final completion.
The subs who close out fast get their retention back fast. And they get remembered as the ones who finish strong. A lot of subs do great work during construction and then disappear at the end. Don't be one of them.
Treat the punch list like your audition for the next job. Because it is.
How to Become the Sub GCs Call First
No secret here. The electrical subcontractors who get called first make the GC's life easier, not harder. In other words:
- Be organized. Have your submittals, RFIs, and pay apps together without being asked twice
- Be responsive. Answer the phone, reply to emails, and show up to meetings
- Deliver clean work. Tight boxes, labeled panels, neat wire management. The kind of work passing inspection the first time
- Handle problems like a professional. Don't point fingers. Identify the issue, propose a solution, and execute
- Close out strong. Finish your punch list, submit your final paperwork, and make the end of the job as smooth as the beginning
GCs talk to each other. When you're reliable, organized, and easy to work with, your name comes up at bid time before you even know there's a project.
Make It Easy with the Right Tools
So half the friction in managing GC relationships comes from disorganized paperwork. Lost submittals, pay apps submitted late, change orders never documented. Faraday's GC portal gives your general contractors a single place to view project status, access documents, and stay in the loop without you fielding constant status calls. When communication is effortless, relationships get stronger.
If you're ready to stop chasing paperwork and start building the kind of GC relationships growing your business, give Faraday a try.