Job Description of a General Contractor

carpenters and buildersJob Description of a General Contractor

What being your very own general contractor will entail is being responsible for coordinating materials and their availability, without this you will not be able to keep your building schedule on track. Remember that this position is a supervisory one, this does not necessarily mean that you yourself will have to strap on that tool belt, wield that screwdriver, and swing that hammer. Be aware that usually the general contractor will have his own crew of people frame the house, meaning that this would be one less thing that you will have to pass on to a carpenter.

Being as you have decided to supervise the building of your very own home, one of your main responsibilities will be the selection and hiring of all of your subcontractors. You and only you will have to supervise them, you will have to make sure that every one of the subcontractors is properly carrying out their jobs in a timely manner. Your list will include electricians plumbers, carpenters, along with other tradespeople who will take your plans and ideas, and translate them into brick, mortar and wood.

You may be thinking that all of this sounds quite overwhelming, which it can be. However, is you are willing to research and learn about this you may not know, you will quickly find yourself gaining new and important knowledge. If you do already have any sort of experience with building a home, then of course it will come in handy, if not then do not fret. You have already taken the first steps, now it is time to move on with the rest.

Another huge aspect of being your own general contractor will be communication. You will have to write emails, make phone calls, and talk with people about all the supplies you will need and every job that must be done. Remember that generally people are more than willing to help, all that you have to do is properly communicate and ask them. Along the lines of communication, kit is important to note that when managing so many people a very real possibility is that you may have to fire someone, is this something that you are capable of doing? It is important to think about it.

Shopping for a great deal is another important aspect of being your own general contractor. I am sure that not everybody is a huge fan of shopping, this does not mean that you cannot learn the important tricks and at least pretend that shopping for materials is enjoyable. Who knows, when all’s said and done you may even end up changing your mind, once you find those great deals and the stories behind how your got them, you may even feel excited about this aspect of the job.

Insurance is another important factor, when you are your own general contractor you will need a fire or builder’s risk policy. When it come to the prices of insurance, they do tend to vary from one state to the next sure to the fact that they are so closely regulated. The best way of going about getting this would be to check with the agent in charge of your homeowner’s insurance, about filing the necessary paperwork, if you do not have a homeowner´s insurance, that too will be necessary. When in the process of arranging for insurance, remember that form the moment the first workers set foot on the site, or the first materials arrive, whatever were to occur first, it must be in effect.