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What Is a General Contractor?
Understand what a general contractor does, as well as reasons to hire one for your home remodeling project
Erin Carlyle
December 30, 2019
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes to remodel. Former Forbes real estate reporter. Fascinated by cool homes, watching the bottom line.
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes... More
We talk a lot at Houzz about working with a good general contractor. But if you haven’t hired one before, you may not be familiar with what a general contractor does or even what a general contractor is.
The truth is, these pros can be an invaluable part of a home remodeling or construction project. They help clients set a budget, keep a project on schedule and oversee the construction process so the homeowners don’t have to. Here’s what you need to know about what a general contractor is and the key services these pros offer.
The truth is, these pros can be an invaluable part of a home remodeling or construction project. They help clients set a budget, keep a project on schedule and oversee the construction process so the homeowners don’t have to. Here’s what you need to know about what a general contractor is and the key services these pros offer.
What Is a General Contractor?
A general contractor is an individual who oversees and manages a construction project. General contractors work on both commercial and residential projects, but for the purposes of this article, we will be talking specifically about residential general contractors, as these are the folks you will hire for your home renovation or construction project.
The licensing process for general contractors varies by state. Most states require some form of licensing, though a few states — including South Dakota, Nebraska and Wisconsin — do not. Check out the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies to find information about contractors’ licenses in your state.
Before you hire a general contractor, it’s wise to confirm that he or she is licensed. The pro should be able to show his or her license to you.
Find a general contractor near you
A general contractor is an individual who oversees and manages a construction project. General contractors work on both commercial and residential projects, but for the purposes of this article, we will be talking specifically about residential general contractors, as these are the folks you will hire for your home renovation or construction project.
The licensing process for general contractors varies by state. Most states require some form of licensing, though a few states — including South Dakota, Nebraska and Wisconsin — do not. Check out the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies to find information about contractors’ licenses in your state.
Before you hire a general contractor, it’s wise to confirm that he or she is licensed. The pro should be able to show his or her license to you.
Find a general contractor near you
What Do General Contractors Do?
General contractors handle a number of tasks to keep a residential construction project running smoothly. These include:
General contractors handle a number of tasks to keep a residential construction project running smoothly. These include:
- Applying for building permits. Your general contractor understands your local building department and ordinances and can apply for and manage the permitting process. This saves the homeowner time and hassle.
- Scheduling subcontractors. Building or remodeling a home requires careful sequencing and coordinating of tradespeople with varied and specific skills. The demolition crew must first take down the wall before the framers can build a new one. The plumbers must install water pipes before the tilers can tile the shower walls. Electricians need to visit the site and string wiring behind the ceiling and walls before the painters add a coat of Classic Blue to the walls. And so on.
- Overseeing the progression of the work. Good general contractors know what to look for to make sure a job is done well and as planned. When they manage subcontractors, they can spot red flags or shoddy work and ensure that it is corrected so you’re not left with a poor result.
- Keeping a project on time and on budget. Good general contractors have developed systems for keeping a project on time and at the agreed-upon budget. And yes, it is common in construction for timelines and budgets to run over. But some pros are better at keeping these boundaries intact than others.
- Offer help with design and materials. Some general contractors provide at least some level of design services, even if they are not design-build firms. General contractors may help clients select finishes or even create plans. However, many general contractors work more traditionally as pure executors of a design plan. They build it and leave the designing to an architect or building designer.
Why It’s a Good Idea to Hire a General Contractor
Sometimes homeowners choose to work with subcontractors directly rather than hire a general contractor to oversee the project and the various tradespeople who will execute it. While this is an option, there are some common downsides to consider, particularly if your residential renovation project is somewhat complex.
As a homeowner, the main downsides for acting as your own general contractor are stress, delays and not knowing what you’re doing. It’s a lot of work to manage a construction project, and if you have a full-time job, you may find that trying to manage your remodeling project is distracting and stressful. After all, the work will be going on while you’re trying to complete tasks at your day job.
Another issue in acting as your own general contractor is not knowing what you’re doing in terms of working with tradespeople. Some simply don’t want to work directly with homeowners, so you may have trouble finding the right subcontractors to hire. Also, you may not be able to spot whether a particular tradesperson does good work.
All this may add up to a project that takes longer than it would have had you hired a general contractor to oversee the project. Also, if things don’t go well and work has to be redone, you may end up not saving much money.
Sometimes homeowners choose to work with subcontractors directly rather than hire a general contractor to oversee the project and the various tradespeople who will execute it. While this is an option, there are some common downsides to consider, particularly if your residential renovation project is somewhat complex.
As a homeowner, the main downsides for acting as your own general contractor are stress, delays and not knowing what you’re doing. It’s a lot of work to manage a construction project, and if you have a full-time job, you may find that trying to manage your remodeling project is distracting and stressful. After all, the work will be going on while you’re trying to complete tasks at your day job.
Another issue in acting as your own general contractor is not knowing what you’re doing in terms of working with tradespeople. Some simply don’t want to work directly with homeowners, so you may have trouble finding the right subcontractors to hire. Also, you may not be able to spot whether a particular tradesperson does good work.
All this may add up to a project that takes longer than it would have had you hired a general contractor to oversee the project. Also, if things don’t go well and work has to be redone, you may end up not saving much money.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a General Contractor?
As a homeowner looking to remodel, one of the key issues you’ll want to determine when considering hiring a general contractor is how much it will cost. To get a sense of how — and how much — contractors charge for their work, you might read this story, which lays out some of the common ways that general contractors charge.
While we’re on the subject of cost, you might want to keep in mind that one critical role a good general contractor can play is helping you, the homeowner, set a realistic budget for your project before construction starts.
The story mentioned above goes into detail about how contractors provide this information, whether through a bid or estimate, or pre-project planning services that you pay for. The latter type of services involves bringing a general contractor along early in the process and getting his or her feedback on cost and feasibility as the project evolves.
10 Times to Hire a General Contractor
As a homeowner looking to remodel, one of the key issues you’ll want to determine when considering hiring a general contractor is how much it will cost. To get a sense of how — and how much — contractors charge for their work, you might read this story, which lays out some of the common ways that general contractors charge.
While we’re on the subject of cost, you might want to keep in mind that one critical role a good general contractor can play is helping you, the homeowner, set a realistic budget for your project before construction starts.
The story mentioned above goes into detail about how contractors provide this information, whether through a bid or estimate, or pre-project planning services that you pay for. The latter type of services involves bringing a general contractor along early in the process and getting his or her feedback on cost and feasibility as the project evolves.
10 Times to Hire a General Contractor
Do I Need a General Contractor to Renovate?
Hopefully now you’ve got an answer to the question: What is a general contractor? Now that you better understand what general contractors do, it’s time to decide whether you need to hire one. A general contractor isn’t right for every project. Whether you need to hire one will depend on your project’s budget and scope.
For instance, if you’re primarily looking to repaint your home’s interior walls, it’s best to hire a painter directly rather than hire a general contractor to manage one. If you’re looking to change the shower wall tile in your bathroom, you might simply hire a tiler.
And if you’re familiar with the building process, confident in your ability to determine which tradespeople you want to hire and have have plenty of time on your hands, then perhaps you’ll decide to act as your own general contractor.
Most homeowners who renovated in 2018 hired pros: 89% of baby boomers did so, and 82% of millennials did, according to Houzz research. More than one-third of renovating homeowners hired a construction manager such as a general contractor to oversee their projects.
More on Houzz
Read more stories about working with pros
Find a general contractor
Find products and materials
Hopefully now you’ve got an answer to the question: What is a general contractor? Now that you better understand what general contractors do, it’s time to decide whether you need to hire one. A general contractor isn’t right for every project. Whether you need to hire one will depend on your project’s budget and scope.
For instance, if you’re primarily looking to repaint your home’s interior walls, it’s best to hire a painter directly rather than hire a general contractor to manage one. If you’re looking to change the shower wall tile in your bathroom, you might simply hire a tiler.
And if you’re familiar with the building process, confident in your ability to determine which tradespeople you want to hire and have have plenty of time on your hands, then perhaps you’ll decide to act as your own general contractor.
Most homeowners who renovated in 2018 hired pros: 89% of baby boomers did so, and 82% of millennials did, according to Houzz research. More than one-third of renovating homeowners hired a construction manager such as a general contractor to oversee their projects.
More on Houzz
Read more stories about working with pros
Find a general contractor
Find products and materials
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