However, his purpose is to ensure that the important elements of his design are carried out, not job supervision. Unfortunately, the owner mistakenly conjectures that with the builder providing a job-site superintendent and with the architect providing oversight, his own interest in the construction process is protected. In reality, the general contractor is responsible for constructing a defect-free building and the owners are responsible for paying for the building. Many attorneys have discovered that what their clients paid for is not what they actually received. Sadly, the found defects often cost many times more to remedy than the original construction element, if it had been installed correctly.
Nobody is the often answer.
The scenario is that the general contractor commonly relies on the competence and honesty of the sub-contractors. Such responsibility involves trust. When consideration is given to the fact that shortcuts and, indeed, construction defects will soon be covered by other tradesmen, this places enormous faith on a subcontractor. And that subcontractor can take bankruptcy protection the day after being paid for the work. This points to the need for a better system of checks and balances to ensure that an additional layer of protection is in place.