Contract Glossary

Subcontractor

Definition

A subcontractor is someone your contractor hires to do part of the work. You hired Agency X to build your app. Agency X hired Developer Y to write the backend code. Developer Y is the subcontractor. You probably never met them, but their work quality affects your project.

In Practice

You pay a design agency $50,000 for a brand overhaul. What you don't know: they've subcontracted the logo design to a freelancer for $2,000 and the website to a junior developer for $5,000. The quality is below what you expected. Your contract with the agency holds them responsible for the subcontractor's work, but only if the contract says so. Without a subcontracting clause, the agency might deflect blame to the sub, leaving you stuck between two parties pointing fingers.