Are you unsure about the role of a general contractor in your construction project? Understanding the importance of this key player can ease stress and ensure the smooth progress of your endeavor.
At Custom Built, we recognize the confusion that often surrounds the role of a general contractor. With our 15+ years of experience in the construction industry, we aim to empower you to make informed decisions for your project.
In this article, you'll learn the answers to frequently asked questions about general contractors:
- What is a General Contractor?
- What Do They Do?
- Why Hire a General Contractor?
- How Do They Charge for Their Services?
- What Qualifications Should I Look for in a General Contractor?
- How Do They Manage Subcontractors?
- Can I Act as My Own General Contractor?
- What Types of Projects Do They Handle?
- How Do General Contractors Handle Project Changes?
- How Should They Ensure Quality Control?
- What Are Some Potential Drawbacks of Hiring a General Contractor?
1. What is a General Contractor?
A general contractor is a professional overseeing construction projects from start to finish. They manage all aspects of the project, including hiring subcontractors, obtaining permits, purchasing materials, and ensuring that the work meets quality standards and deadlines.
General contractors are the central point of contact for all project-related matters, providing guidance and expertise throughout the construction process.
2. What Do They Do?
General contractors coordinate and supervise every phase of a construction project. This includes:
- Planning
- Budgeting
- Scheduling
- Managing workflow
- Ensuring compliance with building codes and regulations
- Hiring subcontractors (such as plumbers, electricians, and carpenters)
They handle all logistical aspects of the project, such as:
- Organizing site logistics
- Overseeing safety protocols
- Coordinating inspections
3. Why Hire a General Contractor?
Hiring a general contractor helps make the construction phase easier for you. Their experience and skills can ensure projects finish on time and within budget. They use their industry knowledge and connections to tackle challenges and prevent delays.
4. How Do They Charge for Their Services?
A general contractor typically charges the total project price; they do not break out their fee. These fixed-price agreements for remodeling projects provide a clear and predetermined project cost, ensuring budget predictability and peace of mind.
With this agreement, the contractor commits to completing the project for a specified price, regardless of any unforeseen expenses or changes encountered during construction. This approach offers transparency and minimizes financial risks, making it a popular choice for homeowners seeking budget certainty and control throughout the remodeling process.
5. What Qualifications Should I Look for in a General Contractor?
When choosing a general contractor, look for someone with:
- A solid reputation
- Relevant experience
- Great communication skills
- Proper licensing and insurance
It's also essential to check references and review past projects to ensure they align with your expectations. Consider their track record of similar projects and ability to manage budgets and timelines.
Additionally, see if they are part of the Home Builders Association (HBA) or specialized associations. This means professional organizations back up their workmanship.
6. How Do They Manage Subcontractors?
General contractors manage subcontractors by creating the specific scope of work (the portion of the project the subcontractor will be working on), scheduling their work, and overseeing their work. This ensures they have permits and materials and check their work for quality and compliance.
The general contractor guarantees the subcontractors complete their work. When you work with a general contractor, you should experience one company that manages the other companies working on your project. If anything goes wrong, the GC is held liable.
They're the primary contact for subcontractors, handling communication and solving any problems during construction. This keeps collaboration smooth and work moving forward efficiently.
It's worth noting that a good general contractor will direct you to only communicate with them, not the subcontractor. The general contractor should own all subcontractor communication.
7. Can I Act as My Own General Contractor?
There are three ways you can approach your remodeling project:
- DIY: You handle all aspects of the project, from design to construction.
- Self-Managed: You oversee the project yourself but hire contractors to complete the work.
- Design-Build/General Contractor: You hire a single company or team to handle both the design and construction of your project.
Short answer: You can absolutely be your own general contractor. A few pros of tackling a self-managed remodel include:
- Save Money: Managing your own remodeling project means avoiding contractor fees and markups, helping you save money.
- Stay in Control: When you manage the project yourself, you have full control over decisions and scheduling, giving you flexibility to make changes as needed.
- Learn by Doing: Handling your own remodeling project gives you hands-on experience and a better understanding of construction, which can be valuable for future projects.
Many homeowners have successfully completed self-managed remodels. Here are a few tips for starting your self-managed project:
- Plan Carefully: Make a detailed plan for your remodel, covering design, budget, and timeline.
- Find Good Contractors: Research and hire reliable subcontractors with the right qualifications and reputation.
- Communicate Clearly: Keep open and clear communication with your subcontractors to avoid misunderstandings.
- Stay Organized: To manage your budget and schedule effectively, keep all project documents organized, like contracts and receipts.
- Be Flexible: Stay adaptable to handle unexpected challenges or changes during the remodel.
While some homeowners manage their own small projects, it can be difficult and take time. General contractors have skills, connections, and know-how that can save time, money, and stress. They know the rules and regulations, which helps avoid expensive errors.
Hiring a contractor lets you focus on other priorities while pros handle the construction work.
8. What Types of Projects Do They Handle?
General contractors can manage various projects, including residential construction, commercial construction, renovations, remodels, and additions. They are equipped to handle projects of different sizes and complexities, from simple home renovations to large-scale commercial developments.
Whether building a custom home, renovating a kitchen, or constructing a commercial space, they have the skills, resources, and expertise to bring your vision to life.
More project types you can pursue with a general contractor include:
9. How Should General Contractors Handle Project Changes?
These remodeling partners should be adept at managing changes throughout the construction process. They should evaluate the impact of changes on the project timeline, budget, and scope and communicate effectively with you to implement adjustments smoothly.
Proactively addressing changes ensures the project stays on track and meets the client's expectations.
10. How Should They Ensure Quality Control?
Quality control should be a top priority for general contractors. They should implement rigorous quality assurance measures, conduct regular inspections, and promptly address deficiencies to ensure that the final result meets or exceeds client expectations.
Maintaining high standards throughout construction upholds their reputation for delivering quality craftsmanship and superior workmanship.
Hiring a general contractor who has a defined process is a big advantage, especially in terms of how they ensure quality control!
Here is an example of how we approach remodels with Our Proven Process:
Our Proven Process:
- DREAM
- In-Home Design Consultation: We visit your home to discuss your project needs, take measurements, provide initial design suggestions, and outline our process.
- Project Proposal Meeting: Meet at our showroom to review project overview, establish budget, and discuss timeline.
- DESIGN
- Kick Off Meeting: Our team gathers final measurements and project details at your home.
- Design Vision Meeting: Back at our office, review 3D renderings, finalize layout, and discuss design.
- Selection Showcase Meeting: Visit our showroom to solidify selections and finalize product choices.
- Agreement Signing Meeting: Sign the fixed-price agreement, confirming scope of work, materials, and plans.
- BUILD
- Pre-Construction Meeting: Meet your project managers, discuss details, set expectations, and begin construction.
- Construction: Your dream remodel’s building phase officially begins!
11. What Are Some Potential Drawbacks of Hiring a General Contractor?
While general contractors can be reliable remodeling partners, here are some potential drawbacks:
- Cost: General contractors usually charge for their services, which can increase project expenses. Unexpected delays or changes may also inflate costs further.
- Control: You will have less say in the details of your project. While remodeling is still a collaborative process between the homeowner and contractor, they will manage and oversee the details of construction plans, subcontractors, scheduling decisions, project execution, and more.
- Communication Issues: Despite efforts to communicate clearly, misunderstandings may still occur. This could lead to project delays. After all, we’re all only human, right?
- Quality Concerns: While they strive for quality, there's a chance the work may not meet your standards. For example, you might envision a two-tier deck with a spiral staircase. However, your general contractor's subcontractor might not be experienced with building deck spiral staircases.
- Dependency on Subcontractors: General Contractors rely on subcontractors for specialized tasks. If a subcontractor underperforms or faces delays, the project's progress will be affected.
- Limited Flexibility: Making changes to the project scope after signing a contract may be difficult and costly. Because general contractors have a defined process, deviating from the plan to accommodate changes is harder.
Next Steps to Hiring a General Contractor
As you face the complexities of your construction project, remember the potential challenges and uncertainties that can arise without the guidance of a skilled general contractor.
In this article, you learned more about general contractors and how they can influence your project’s success.
At Custom Built, with 15+ years of experience working with general contractors, we understand the importance of hiring a reputable remodeling partner.
Looking for a renovation guide to start your dream project? Contact us today to learn how we can partner with you to bring your vision to life. Let's build something remarkable together.
Now that you know more about general contractors, let’s take a look at whether a design-build firm like Custom Built is right for you, how we will approach your project, and other ways to vet your remodeling partner options:
- Top 4 Differences Between a Design-Build Firm and a General Contractor - A comparison between design-build firms and general contractors that highlights the pros and cons that each remodeling company brings to the table.
- Dream, Design, and Build: Our Remodeling Process - This guide details how we at Custom Built will approach your remodeling project, including who you will work with and when to expect each crucial step of your renovation to occur.
- Top 8 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Remodeling Contractor - A list of essential questions to ask your prospective remodeling contractor before hiring them for your project; with additional questions included in each section.
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