Construction Subcontracting in Hong Kong

Construction contracting in Hong Kong is big business and with the current influx of large scale construction projects, there is plenty of work to go around. Although the news headlines feature the major awards given to international contractors, it is certainly worth giving a thought to the high number of sub-contracting companies involved with these projects. Many of these companies specialize in a specific area of construction work providing expert solutions within a niche market.

The scale of the projects in Hong Kong currently means that the number of sub-contractors on any one construction project can reach into the hundreds. This demand for specialist sub-contracting skills has led to many more job opportunities for construction professionals. Both commercial and engineering staff are highly sought after to work for such companies.

Sub-contracting is generally on a smaller scale to main contracting, but in Hong Kong at the moment even the sub-contract awards can be in the HK$ Millions. This is mainly due to the large amount of work being generated by MTRC extension projects, which themselves can often run into HK$ Billions. To work on such landmark construction projects is a great career move as well as providing ‘once in a lifetime' opportunities.

EXPERTISE IN DEMAND
Sub-contractors often provide a solution to a specific area of construction work- two of the largest and most common high value areas of expertise in Hong Kong are mechanical and electrical (M&E) works, and specialist steelworks. It is quite common for main contractors to have a specialist division within the company structure that will handle M&E or steelworks, providing an “in house” solution. However, when this is not possible it is necessary to sub-contract the work to a company who specializes in that specific area of construction.

The current influx of sub-contracting work has led to excellent opportunities for commercial and engineering candidates with M&E or steelworks expertise who are looking to work in Hong Kong. If this sounds like your area of expertise and you might be interested in working in Hong Kong, please get in touch and we will be happy to discuss your next career move!

Tim Cole
Recruitment Consultant
Maxim Recruitment – Hong Kong