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General Contracting |
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A general contractor is a group or individual that contracts with another
organization or individual (the owner) for the construction or renovation of a
building, road or other structure. A general contractor is defined as such if it
is the signatory as the builder of the prime construction contract for the
project. A general contractor is responsible for the means and methods to be
used in the construction execution of the project in accordance with the
contract documents. Said contract documents usually include the contract
agreement including budget, the general and special conditions and the plans and
specification of the project that are prepared by a design professional. A
general contractor usually is responsible for the supplying of all material,
labor, equipment, (engineering vehicles and tools) and services necessary for
the construction of the project. To do this it is common for the general
contractor to subcontract part of the work to other persons and companies that
specialize in these types of work. These are called subcontractors.
General contractors conducting work for government agencies are typically
referred to as prime contractors. The responsibilities of a prime contractors
working under a contract are essentially identical to those outlined above. In
many cases, prime contractors will delegate portions of the contract work to
subcontractors.
As a service
Most contractors are required to be licensed in each state and may be required
to take an oral and written exam. To check for contractor license requirements,
you may contact the National Association of State Contractor Licensing Agencies
(NASCLA) Association at:
Contractors are defined in the law by each state and are usually considered
those who contract, bid, negotiate a price or offers to construct, supervise,
oversee, schedule, direct, alter, repair, install, improve, move, demolish,
furnish labor, etc. In addition, there are various types: building (residential
and commercial); electrical; plumbing; mechanical; highway; and environmental
(mold/lead remediation).
As an owner
Occasionally the entity commissioning the construction of the building chooses
to act as the general contractor. In such cases, they work directly with the
subcontractors and take care of the administration and organization of the
various subcontractors.
Under these conditions the owner takes on all liability for proper sequencing of
the work, and dealing with the realities of construction. More times than not,
the risks far outweigh the potential reward of saving the general contractor's
fee should all things go perfectly.
Owners considering this approach should keep in mind that general contractors
make a living working with known subcontractors. An established General
Contractor will have established relationships that will outlast one
construction project, and the subcontractors will acknowledge this with their
cooperation. Owners seldom have this advantage, and most subcontractors will
recognize the risk of working with a one time client with higher bids.
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