General Contractors wear many hats. Their primary role is to help you accomplish a renovation project from start to finish and make it run smoothly. Most homeowners would agree that a professional general contractor is worth every penny. They are the specialists and the information experts you can turn to at anytime during your home renovation project.
A good contractor has experience in: remodeling, construction, renovation, demolition, supplies, suppliers, design-aesthetic, current up to code information and how to accomplish a successful renovation project.
There are many general contractors out there to choose from, but how do you decide who to work with? To start, look for one who is an excellent communicator and welcomes questions. Because they are the experts in their field, a good general contractor will be willing to discuss the concerns and questions you have about a project without making you feel like an inconvenience to them.
To start, call a few different general contractors in your area and ask them the same questions- then choose the one you vibe well with and who is patient and resourceful. It also doesn’t hurt to set up an appointment to speak with them in person almost like an interview. You will after all be spending a lot of time with them, and you want to be sure you have good working chemistry together. A good contractor should be knowledgeable and able to make suggestions based off of what resources you are working with and have the right referrals for your project and renovation needs.
Serves as Liaison
A good general contacts has connections and has a broad network of subcontractors they trust to do an excellent job. This takes the hassle off of you trying to find someone you need to do the job. The main role of the general contractor is to serve as a liaison between the owner of a project, construction workers and the design team.
They communicate between each team and essentially connect the dots saving you precious time. When you’re busy with many engagements and commitments to fulfill, communicating to a lot of people isn’t easy. Your hired contractor will be able to be the “glue” between all the subcontractors and you. If a problem arises, your contractor is the first person to turn to making sure the problem is solved correctly.
Project experts
A general contractor should be experienced in their field. He is your go-to person. It is important to select a General Contractor who is very seasoned and competent. First they will visit the site and assess everything involved in an upcoming project. They are knowledgeable in construction, renovation and code requirements by the state.
They are like a jack of all trades and are responsible for balancing the cost of a project, maintaining an accurate budget of the project, making sure workers are scheduled properly, surveying the property site, providing materials and utilities on the construction site, managing those involved in the project, ensuring building permits and removing any waste left over.
Adhering to a Reasonable Timeline
The job of a contractor is to ensure your project comes along in a timely fashion. They know all the ins and outs of a construction job and can readily update you on a realistic timeline.
It is their job to be on top of the progress of a home renovation and continually check in with subcontractors. A general contractor schedules and oversees the daily activities of a construction project. They will also make sure others involved in the renovation are doing their jobs properly. If something goes wrong, it is the job of a general contractor to get the issue resolved and properly installed
Bonded and Ensured
It’s important to ask if your contractor is bonded and insured. In short, this means you as the homeowner are protected financially if a job is not done properly. This will give you peace of mind during the project.
Saving Money and Time
Hiring a general contractor means you will be saving money and time in the long run. Ideally the general contractor you work with will have many different manufactures they work with who will give them resources at a discounted price.
When a GC has a good working relationship with suppliers they are able to offer items at a lower cost to you because of this. This also allows them to typically get the resources they need faster because they are preferred sellers.
In the end it’s up to you to accomplish your dream project whether it’s kitchen renovation, bathroom remodeling or whatever your heart desires. Hiring a general contractor will make this dream become a reality much faster and more efficiently.
