Massachusetts Hire a GC or Not

[Matt Thomas]

Hello,

I'm just wondering what the consensus is for people doing rehab projects in MA regarding general contractors?  I have some background in building materials and have rehabbed a couple of my own homes, but have never done a major rehab or true flip before.  I'm currently considering the purchase of an inherited home from some family members that will require an extensive rehab.  I'm familiar enough to know what the scope of work is and what the process should be, so my initial thoughts were to sub all the work out and have them pull their own permits for each job.  Reading some of the other forums about GC's got me thinking about legal requirements and liability.  Obviously, MA is famous for being highly regulated, so I don't want to end up with problems down the road.  Does anyone know if my approach would be legal for a investment property (not owner-occupied) and whether or not I'd be assuming liability for the work that was done or any workers getting injured?  I would assume that the subs' insurance and my own property insurance would cover this, but figured I'd ask people with more experience.  Thanks.