References From Builders and Other Subcontractors: This is the next best thing to finding subs on the job site. If another builder recommends them they are probably great. If another sub recommends them you know they are good. Subs usually keep each other honest. They will lose business in a hurry if they recommend someone that does a sloppy job, or doesn't show up. Low volume contractors are another great resource. They want to keep their subs busy, so the subs will be in business the next time the contactor needs them. So, they will be happy to recommend them to you during slow times.

 The Yellow Pages: when you go to the phone book to find subs you will want to look under specific titles, such as "roofing contractor." This is really not the best option because you have no way of knowing how good they are, and they tend to charge more. But, if you have to pick a company or sub from the yellow pages, pick one that uses an actual name, like "Smith's Plumbing," rather than "A-Z Plumbing." This will tend to be a safer choice because generally they wouldn't use their name if they did not have a good reputation.

 Classified Ads: if all you want to do is try and save money this is a great place to find cheaper labor. You can usually bargain more with these subs than you can with subs found on job sites. However cheaper labor usually means cheaper work, or in other words, their quality can be severely inferior. You will want to check multiple references for them, and look at their actual work.

 On the Road: Again this is not the most ideal spot to find subs, but as you drive around, look for phone numbers on trucks. Usually the busier the sub is, the better their work is. If they weren't good they wouldn't be in as high of demand, so look for busy subs.

 Material Suppliers: You can generally get sub recommendations from material suppliers, as most keep a list of approved subs, or have a bulletin board where subs can post ads or business cards. You can ask the account representative assigned to you can give you a lot of intelligence on subs, other supplier's, quality of workmanship, and the ease to work with.

These are great places to start, but remember, it is just a start.never hire a sub right off the bat just because you saw their ad. If you do, you are likely going to have to deal with some headaches. So what do you need to do? Well, it is like any other job, if you were going to hire someone to run your multi-million dollar company, you would ask for references and experience. Do that with your subs too!