Our house needs new windows, siding (or paint) and probably a roof (no sign of leaks but it is sagging and is about 20 years old).
I am wondering if it makes sense to try to do all these things at once through the same contractor in order to get a price break and single point of contact.
Or, is it better to look for contractors who specialize in each of these areas?
If you can find a good home improvement guy then I would have him do it though it might cost a bit more. Hopefully he uses the same subs every time so gets better prices than you can and therefore he earns his percentage. By the way, the most important thing in your projects is proper flashing. You might visit the Pella window site and read their installation instructions to see how important flashing can be. Great windows poorly installed are worthless.
Can't give you specific advice .. not enough info.
Generally ... many roofing contractors also do siding ... and some siding contractors also do roofs. Windows can be installed by the manufacturer (or distributor) you buy them from.
A general contractor will (as the name says) contract each job out, and will pay 70 - 80% of what the job would cost you if you contracted it out. With his mark up, you'll pay between ten and fifteen percent more than if you subbed it out yourself.
The difference, of course, may be that the GC has knowledge and access to trades and will get a good job done at a reasonable price. Depending on the size of your job and who you know, a GC may or may not be interested.
You may want to sub it out yourself -- materials suppliers generally can point you towards some decent people, as can friends, neighbours etc.
If you go the GC route, try to see work in progress and jobs from five years ago. Check references.
Ken
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