General contractors are an important aspect of every construction project. Whether you’re starting a new business or just remodeling an old one, finding and selecting a reputable general contractor is crucial to completing your project on time and within budget. However, there is a lot of work to do before you can even begin to find a general contractor that will work well with your style of construction and project needs. Here are some tips that can help you make the right decision in picking out the best general contractors. With these tips, you’ll save time and money!

Choosing a general contractor is not something to be taken lightly. A general contractor, the primary contractor or subcontractor is responsible for managing the day-to-dayto day oversight of a construction site, coordination of trades and vendors, and ultimately the distribution of information among all involved parties during the course of the construction project. While there may not be anything inherently wrong with hiring a general contractor to take care of these duties for you, there are still several things you should consider when choosing one. The primary consideration is experience. You need someone with significant experience managing projects of various sizes and scope. For example, if you are building a one-story house with a small kitchen and bathroom, you don’t want to hire a general contractor that has never built a structure like this before.

Another consideration is experience working with carpenters and other skilled trades. Many general contractors don’t have a lot of experience working with carpentry or other trades like woodcarving, bricklaying, or masonry. While carpenters certainly have skills in these fields, there are a variety of different trades that combine one or more of these skills. As a general contractor, you wouldn’t want to hire a carpenter who wasn’t trained specifically in masonry or another building trade.

Experience with a prime contractor also matters. For example, the general contractors’ work is going to consist of sub-contracting out specific tasks to a prime contractor. If you’re building a one-story home, you wouldn’t want a general contractor doing all the detailed work, which would call for someone like an interior designer or a carpentry specialist. Instead, you want a specialized individual handling the specific needs of your construction project so that your entire construction project can be managed efficiently and effectively.

One of the major tasks that is typically performed by general contractors is carpentry work. A general contractor can usually get the job done quickly, which is one of the reasons why they are usually preferred over other construction firms. In addition, they are experienced in performing these types of tasks, which gives them the knowledge and ability to complete the job well. Kitchen Remodeling is an area where you want the speed so your family can get back to their day to day. If performing a kitchen remodel Connecticut has a ton of qualified firms, our favorite out of New Haven has been the Connecticut Kitchen Remodelers, if you do hire a company that doesn’t have the right amount of experience or specialized knowledge in carpentry or other trades, you could find that the end product isn’t up to your standards or what you were originally expecting. Make sure that you do your research and hire a company, or individual that has plenty of references from satisfied customers, as well as a legitimate insurance policy and bonding to protect you in case anything untoward happens during the process of your new home build.

The prime contractor will sub-contract jobs to general contractors, which is where the real work begins. The prime contractor will oversee all aspects of the project, which will include the actual design, and conception of the overall project itself, as well as the hiring of all subcontractors, equipment suppliers, and any labor needed. While the general contractor is very responsible for handling the actual “big stuff”, the subcontractor is responsible for putting it all together and running it. Therefore, the prime contractor may choose to use a subcontractor who has the experience and expertise necessary to handle the entire project from start to finish.

While it’s generally recommended that you hire multiple contractors for a multi-million dollar project, especially if you have something complex like kitchen renovations in order to deal with, you should only utilize a single contractor for a simple job. Generally, the more specialized a contractor is, the more you’ll likely pay in overall expense, so it’s in your best interest to start off with a general contractor and then hire one specialty contractor for the more specific job. The reason is that specialty contractors tend to have access to more resources and are better able to complete the job quickly and on schedule than the individual contractors would be. Plus, in the event of a problem, the specialty contractor will have either the know-how or resources to fix the problem, which is something that the primary contractor may not have.

GCS or Good Standing Contractor System certification is an indication that the contractor has satisfactorily completed all the projects they’ve been associated with and passed a rigorous set of tests. If a contractor does not have this certification, you should avoid them at all costs. Most building and construction companies will have a GCS logo or emblem displayed somewhere on their website, which should also be a dead giveaway that the company possesses the necessary resources and skills to perform the job. Furthermore, a GCS symbol typically has been awarded by the American Society of Builders (ASB) or the National Building Code Council (NBCC). As always, it’s important to use caution when choosing a company for a major project, but if you’re unsure about whether or not a particular contractor possesses these certifications, simply ask for proof.