General contractor or architect + trades: which to choose?

The two setups.

The classic setup: you sign with an architect for design and project supervision, then with each trade (plumber, electrician, plasterer…) separately. The architect coordinates, but each company is contractually responsible for its own package only.

The general contractor: you sign a single contract with one company that carries everything — design, execution, coordination of all trades — and commits to a price, a timeline and a result. This is W.A.R.D's model, also known as design & build.

Point-by-point comparison.

Criterion	Architect + trades	General contractor
Contacts	5 to 15 separate contracts	One contract
Responsibility	Diluted per package — disputes between companies are your problem	Global — one party responsible for the result
Price	Theoretically optimisable package by package	Committed at signature, contingencies better absorbed
Timelines	Depend on coordination between companies	Contractually committed
Your mental load	High — constant arbitration	Minimal — sign-off at key milestones

What you are not told often enough.

• The classic setup can cost less… when everything goes well. But when the tiler waits for the plumber who waits for the electrician, the idle weeks get paid for — in rent, bridge loans, energy.
• Not all ten-year warranties are equal. Always check the coverage ceiling and the insurer's soundness. Ours covers each project up to €5,000,000.
• A general contractor does not exclude the architect — at W.A.R.D, design is carried by our in-house architects, matched to the nature of your project: residential, retail or office.

The right questions to ask before signing.

• Who is responsible if the deadline slips — and what does that trigger contractually?
• Is the price firm, adjustable, or "indicative"?
• What is the ceiling of the ten-year warranty insurance, and does it properly cover general contracting?
• Who handles co-ownership approvals and administrative procedures?
• Can I visit a live site and speak to a client after handover?

A serious professional answers these five questions without hesitation. That is precisely how you recognise one.

Want to see what the integrated model delivers in practice? Browse our projects — from retail for Dior to the heritage renovation of Le Trocadéro — or tell us about your project.