What is a contractor/subcontractor?

A contractor is anyone who is doing work for the company (client) but who is not an employee of that company. A contractor may then engage other firms to assist with elements of the contract, these firms or individuals are regarded as sub-contractors.

Companies may not have the in-house resources to do certain activities e.g. installations, maintenance, cleaning etc. It is often economically more viable to use contractors when required than to maintain full time resources in-house.