Under the Contractor Umbrella

If you're planning any sort of home construction or remodeling work, you may want to hire a residential general contractor. A GC can bring order to a wide range of projects. Customers should know how a general contractor accomplishes this so let's examine how a GC gets the job done.

Coordination

A general contractor is the traffic cop for a project. Some general contracting firms have team members who can handle basic labor needs. However, a GC will typically rely on subcontractors to bring together the skills necessary for a project. If you're doing a bathroom remodel, for example, a residential general contractor will work with the plumbers, tile contractors, and shower installers to bring the job together.

Similarly, a GC will coordinate the arrival of supplies. If you're building a home, a general contractor might set aside a portion of the site to stage supplies. Likewise, they may work with a civil engineer to prepare temporary roads to get materials, people, and equipment in and out of the property.

Sequencing

Particularly on jobs with multiple stages, you need to get the sequencing of contractors and supplies right. Consider what goes into putting up a wall. Someone has to frame the wall. However, you don't want to clad the wall with sheetrock until electricians and plumbers have had a chance to run wires and pipes through it. Also, you don't want to have the painters on the site until the walls are up. If it's an exterior wall, you'll probably need an insulation contractor to visit the site, too.

Contingencies

General contractors also have to plan for contingencies. What happens if unexpected rainy weather pushes the excavation of a foundation off? The GC has to contact subsequent contractors, such as the team that will pour the foundation, to make sure they don't show up to a site without sufficient excavation.

Similarly, what happens if a supplier or contractor can't hold up their end of a deal? The general contractor has to find parties that can do the job, and they have to do it on the fly.

Budgeting

Ultimately, you want everything to fit within a budget. Typically, an agreement with a GC will lock in a price. The general contractor is the one that has to adjust if, for example, the price of wood goes up before they lock in their order. This helps you to set a dependable budget at the start so you can get financing. It also gives the GC an incentive to control costs.