I need to get some insight on web development companies, now when a programmer is doing someones job do they have that programmer consult with the client to get it done, or do they have someone else speaking with the client, and then tell the programmer what to do there on out. Any one have any idea how that works, preferably someone that has a lot of experience working at web development firms.
I own a web hosting / web development company at travsolutions.com. I don't always have coders with me on projects (I have a couple of freelancers that I outsource work to on occasion if i'm too busy). However, I think it depends on how experienced you are with programming in the language they want you to do. If you know nothing about PHP, it will be hard to figure out the workload on a PHP project and price it properly. I think in most cases it is easier to avoid the middle-man by bringing in the coder when discussing details of the project. Then once you estimate the man-hours on a project you can give a more accurate price quote that you and your coder are happy with.
It depends on the company, some company allows to contact with freelance developers directly. They interfere only if there is some dispute between the parties. You have to pay only after the job is completed to your satisfaction.