Who Are General Contractors and What Do They Do?

4 Types of Contractors: Which One to Choose?

In terms of construction, there exists a diverse array of specialists, each tailored to distinct tasks. 

General Contractors

These experts don't limit themselves to a single domain. They take charge of residential and commercial projects, overseeing and taking on all tasks starting from planning to the final scratch — hiring specialists, counting the spending, and planning each day of construction is a small part of their business. You should address them at the very beginning before hiring any other workers. Having a general constructor in your team, you won’t need to search for roofing companies near me, particular workers, or companies with suitable prices — these specialists take all these tasks on them.

Design-Build Contractors

These contractors help to mold your ideas into architectural plans. They are in charge of your house’s style, living spaces, and space usability, being the second ones to hire after general contractors. While the first ones determine the building process, the design-build contractor takes care of the final result and appearance.

Construction Manager

Construction managers

Managers focus on the early stages, aiding in budgeting, scheduling, and even subcontractor hiring – they are first to find a good building or fence company, concrete companies, and other specialists due to their professional network. Their role is to help optimize the project's efficiency – they are not builders or architects themselves, but good managers who understand how to run the process. Most construction companies have such specialists to connect with customers.

Specialist Contractors

For precise needs, specialist contractors step in, focusing on a single field of expertise. This includes concrete contractors, fence companies, plumbing, woodwork, roofing, flooring, and dozens of other specialists. Such specialists are usually sub-hired by the general contractor or the construction company – these people have a wide network of specialists and rich experience, so in most cases, there is no need for you to interfere.

What Does a General Contractor Do Before, During, and After the Construction?

Across the project phases, the general constructor is responsible for all possible tasks.

Pre-Construction Phase:

• project planning;
• establishing the budget;
• planning approximate timeline and schedule;
• hiring subcontractors.

Construction Phase:

• documentation maintenance;
• tracking other specialists’ work;
• correcting the budget if necessary.

Post-Construction Phase:

• ensuring that all subcontractors receive their compensation;
• checking the work results;
• room inspection;
• filing the final reports to the client.

How do I find contractors near me

Hiring a general contractor, make sure you pick someone responsible and skilled in their job. Simply searching contractors near me could play a trick. 

First of all, rely on recommendations– ask friends and family about their experience. Another option in today’s world is to search through the Internet. Allow searching systems to determine your location and search “construction companies near me”. Always look through the reviews and the company’s rating on the Internet.