The general contractor plays the most important role in a construction job. The GC organizes and executes construction projects of varying sizes, including:
- serving as the main point of contact
- hiring and paying subcontractors, suppliers and laborers
- overseeing and supervising day-to-day operations
What is a general contractor responsible for?
General contractors manage all aspects of a construction project from beginning to end. They ensure timely completion of projects and are responsible for:
- ordering materials
- guiding the client through the permitting process
- ensuring compliance in regards to taxes, general liability insurance, licensing and other fees
- inspecting and supervising projects for optimal quality control
- troubleshooting workflow bottlenecks
- communicating with clients and all other players involved with the project
In a nutshell, the general contractor understands every aspect of construction, including:
- Building process
- Staff scheduling
- Building codes
- Relationships
- Contracting
When should I hire a general contractor?
Oftentimes, Construction Management or a Design Build Process serves clients much better than General Contracting services. Check out some of our Design Build projects here.
At Fraser Construction, we offer General Contracting services during the design phase, which will include such pre-construction services as estimating, scheduling, phasing, milestones, value engineering and constructability reviews. Additionally, we avoid any budget surprises with Guaranteed Maximum Price.
However, there are circumstances in which the design is complete, resulting in the client putting the project out to bid among multiple general contractors. The most time- and cost-efficient approach is to develop a standard bid form and schedule of values with a set budget. In the end, this saves time bidding apples to apples.