My sub didn't show up. How do I replace him mid-job?
Short answer
Give him one direct conversation and a real deadline. If he misses that too, you already have your answer, get someone else lined up before you cut him loose.
Don't burn the bridge until you have a replacement
The instinct is to fire off an angry text and cut the sub immediately. Don't, not until you have someone who can actually pick up the work, because an empty slot on your schedule costs you more than one more delay with the current sub.
Call, don't text. Find out if this is a one-off (family emergency, truck broke down) or a pattern (this is the third time). That distinction decides whether you're managing a bad week or replacing a bad relationship.
Build the replacement bench before you need it
Every trade you sub out should have a backup you've already vetted, even if you've never used them. Get one small job done with them when things are calm, so you're not doing quality control for the first time under a deadline.
When you do have to swap mid-job, walk the new sub through the site in person before they start. A rushed handoff is where the second sub inherits problems from the first one and you end up mediating a fight that isn't yours.
Calling a no-show sub
You
“Hey, you were supposed to be on site at 7, what happened?”
Sub
“Sorry man, truck trouble, I'll be there tomorrow.”
You
“I need you there tomorrow morning, no later than 8. If something comes up again, call me before the start time, not after. If tomorrow doesn't happen I've got to move forward with someone else on this one.”
Do not say
- “Silently swapping subs without ever having the direct conversation, it burns a relationship you might need again.”
Building a sub bench so a no-show doesn't stall the job
- 1.Keep at least one backup contact per trade you regularly sub out, even if unused.
- 2.Test a backup sub on a low-stakes job before you need them for a crisis.
- 3.Keep your schedule with 1 to 2 day buffers on sub-dependent phases so one bad day doesn't cascade.
- 4.Document sub performance after every job, five minutes, so the decision to swap isn't emotional later.
Where owners get this wrong
- Waiting multiple no-shows to have the direct conversation.
- Cutting a sub with nobody lined up to replace them.
- Handing off mid-job without walking the new sub through the site in person.
Ask your version of this question
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