How to Find the Right Trades and Staff to Do the Work

By now, you’ve got your phone ringing and the right kind of work coming in.

But there’s still one big question: who’s actually going to do it all?

Finding the right people — trades, contractors, or staff — is where most good builders hit a wall.

You line up the jobs, but the crew’s not available. Or they are available, but not reliable.

And when that happens, you’re stuck doing everything yourself again.

The problem isn’t the work — it’s the pipeline

Most contractors don’t have a people problem. They have a process problem.

If your trades only show up when you beg, or your staff spend more time putting out fires than getting ahead, it’s usually because there’s no system behind how you find, hire, and keep them.

The top 10% of builders and contractors don’t just have a list of people they can call. They have a plan for where their next trade or staff hire is coming from — weeks or months before they actually need them.

That’s the difference between scrambling and scaling.

Step 1: Build a reliable network

Start with the people you already know.

List out every trade, contractor, or subbie you’ve worked with who’s done a good job. Then rate them: reliable, average, or risky.

The reliable ones go on your A-list — the ones you can count on for repeat work.

The average ones can fill gaps when you’re busy, and the risky ones? Move on.

Once you’ve done that, start filling the gaps. Ask your A-listers who they trust, and connect through your industry Facebook groups or local networks.

Good people usually know other good people.

Step 2: Keep your jobs attractive

The best trades don’t just chase money — they chase organisation.

If your paperwork’s a mess, site details are unclear, or communication’s last-minute, the top crews won’t stick around.

Treat your trades like partners, not backup plans. Pay on time, keep the communication clear, and give them a heads-up on what’s coming next. It costs nothing to do, but it builds loyalty that pays off when everyone else is short on labour.

Step 3: Systemise how you find and onboard people

When you rely on one or two key people for everything, you’re always one sick day away from chaos.

Set up a simple process for finding and onboarding trades and staff — job ads, contact templates, a few interview questions, and a quick system to check paperwork and insurance.

It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to be consistent.

If you need a shortcut, this is exactly what we’ve built inside our BuildAbility Toolbox.
It’s the same system top builders use to find reliable trades, hire staff faster, and replace three full-time admin headaches for less than the cost of one.

Build the team before you need it

When you’ve got the right team around you, everything else gets easier — delivery, quoting, even your weekends.

So before the next big job lands, start building your bench. Because the moment you stop chasing trades, that’s when you finally get ahead.