Many construction companies may advertise as a General Contractor (GC), but what does that actually mean?
Typically, a General Contractor will only perform select construction activities, if any at all, and will subcontract other construction companies to complete the entire scope of the project. An example of this for building a house would be if a GC self-performs the framing work and subcontracts all other activities to complete the job.
While most GC’s are capable of completing different activities required to complete a job there are a couple of reasons why a GC would subcontract those activities:
–Time/Availability: Sometimes GC’s are backlogged for months and would rather subcontract out the work so that the job can be completed on schedule.
–Specialties: Some work is considered specialty work and requires special licensing or equipment to complete the task.
–Quality: When you hire a subcontractor that specializes in a specific construction activity, they are more likely to produce a better quality product.
Now, as a homeowner, you may think that you don’t want to hire a contractor that subcontracts work to others because they mark up subcontractor’s costs. While in most cases this is true, it actually helps to ensure you get a quality project. Markup on the subcontractor consists of time for managers and administrators to get contracts together, manage work, and provide subcontractors with any help needed to complete the job.
Here is how subcontracting by a general contractor helps you, the homeowner:
1- Contract Management; you will only need to sign and manage one contract to get the job done.
2- Scope Management: Scope is the activities required to complete the job. When you hire a General Contractor you are assigning all scope to one contractor. This ensures that you do not have holes or gaps in scope when hiring multiple contractors to complete the job.
3- Quality Management: When you contract a GC, they are responsible for the overall quality of the job. They provide a second set of eyes on the job to ensure that the job is done right the first time. In the unlikely event things are not done properly the first time, you only need to call the GC again to fix the problem and they will deal with the subcontractor to fix it. No headaches for you.
General Contracting has become a staple in the construction industry for completing projects. It ensures that you get the best quality project and minimizes the work required for homeowners to manage contracts and overall work.
At Excavation Contractors LLC, we can act as a general contractor or subcontractor to help you complete your project. Call, text, or email us today to get started on your project!
