A general contractor, principal contractor or subcontractor is in charge of the day-to-day oversight of a commercial construction site, supervision of trades and vendors, and the dissemination of information to all participants involved in the project over the course of a commercial construction project. The term general contractor is commonly used to describe any individual who performs any of these key responsibilities. Some contractors are self-employed, others work for large construction firms, and others contract out work. Generally a general contractor has the greatest amount of experience and hands on experience of any of the contracting parties involved in the construction of commercial real estate projects. They are also the most knowledgeable about the legal issues that may arise as a result of the construction.
The general contractor’s responsibility usually consists of supervising the whole construction management process. This means that they are the one responsible for making sure that all permits are obtained, all contracts held with vendors are fulfilled, and all materials and labor collected and expended on the construction project. Once completed, they must submit a schedule for completion of the project, along with a detailed contractor’s report, which is reviewed by the principal contractor, the project manager, and other employees of the company. It is the general contractor’s job to make sure that all of these things are accomplished on time and within the budget set by them, all to the best of their ability.
In order to be considered a good general contractor, it is necessary for them to have the following: An extensive amount of experience in construction projects, particularly if they specialize in what they do. A license to operate in the state of their choice, and proof of insurance coverage in the event of accidents on the job. A proven track record of excellent customer service and a history of satisfied customers.
There are a number of ways in which they can employ these practices in order to find the best way for them to serve their clients. They hire project management teams to handle their work. Project management teams consist of the best people who are qualified to manage the entire project from start to finish. They consist of an executive director, project managers, specialized designers, and subcontractors. The entire team has a unified vision for how the project will play a significant role in the company’s success.
Another way that the company keeps things organized is through the use of construction software that is computerized. These software programs are designed to track every aspect of the company’s construction activities, such as cost estimating, scheduling, materials management, and invoicing. Software applications allow the General Contractor to effectively manage their employees, their overall budgets, their clientele, their site developments, and even their facilities management. This allows them to focus their efforts on those activities that will actually increase the likelihood of success of the project, rather than wasting time and resources on those activities that do not yield any results. Software programs such as these also help the company manage its construction projects more effectively, by reducing the amount of errors and maximizing the amount of control over every aspect of the construction process.
Some general contractors to hire outside consultants. These consultants typically provide an objective look at the entire operation, allowing General Contractors to make changes to their plans quickly without having to go through the often tedious process of changing their plans in the middle of the construction project. While this is a good idea, most contractors prefer to keep their plans and operations completely separate from their consultant counterparts, in order to better control the budgeting and planning processes associated with their project. There is no substitute for working with a general contractor who knows what he or she is doing, when it comes to managing and launching successful construction projects.