BEFORE
AFTER
Firstly, it is important to understand what a General Contractor is and the service they provide before you decide whether you want to hire one or not. Well, if you Google it, which most of will do, Wikipedia describes a General Contractor as the person or company that is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, man- agement of vendors and trades, and the com- munication of information to all involved parties throughout the course of a building project. Well, that is a good description, but what does that really mean? A General Contractor becomes responsible for the entire project: communications, logis- tics, materials, subtrades, internal labour, utility services, safety, insurance, permits, and general problem solving. Essentially, once a scope of work is decided upon, based on the contract, the General Contractor becomes responsible for all aspects of the project until the successful com- pletion. Here are the main advantages of hiring a General Contractor over Self Management:
Problem Solving By hiring an experienced General Contractor, problems are typically handled quickly, calmly, and professionally and often without the home- owner’s involvement. This is because the General Contractor has the experience, skills, and resourc- es to solve problems as they arise and a process to handle issues. Logistics Having an experienced General Contractor should ensure that materials, labour, and sub- trades arrive on site and on time. Logistics takes planning and experience which will keep a project on schedule and on budget. Having relationships with suppliers and subtrades over many years allows General Contractors to have confidence in their team. Communications An experienced General Contractor will be able to translate what the client wants to the industry
33
32
MAY/JUNE 2022 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • MAY/JUNE 2022
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator