subject: General Contracting: What It Is? [print this page] General Contracting is a comprehensive termGeneral Contracting is a comprehensive term. It covers building construction as well repair and remodeling. There are many specialized contractors who offer services in one discipline of the business. General contracting is a business and service rolled together.
The contractor is involved throughout the project right from the beginning to end. He can be a single entity or a company of associates. His success lies in understanding the building technology nearly as much as the architect and engineers do. He also manages the purchase of building materials; keep all logistics related to stocks. His key skill is managing the labor and building machinery.
Managing raw materials like cement, bricks, stones, steel and prefabricated structures is not an easy job. The contractor has to work within a budget hence bargaining during purchase and saving in transportation cost become imperative. The person or the company has to play multiple role and years of experience is required for this.
The onus of providing equipments and machinery is on the contractor. He has to oversee that the work is done as per specification. Some people also employ sub contractors and a portion of work is shared. The job is not easy as he has to oversee the work at the construction site as well as make purchases.
He has to keep abreast of new technologies and building codes. Houses are built using traditional methods or use prefabricated structures. The construction process can differ in case of the latter. Mobile homes are also in use in many countries the technology also differs.
In case of commercial projects lot of rules and regulations apply. The compliance with rules and regulation and codes is the requirement of job. The best part of this profession is that one does not have to have qualifications some years of experience is enough. Different aspects of construction like plumbing, carpentry, masonry and electrical set ups are learned through experience. Hence for this business one does not have to undergo training but many do.
There are many institutions the offer vocational training in building work.
The contractor has to work as a team with the house owner, engineer and the architect. He has to deliver in time following the specifications provided to him. Good performance is a must since most of the business comes from reference or word of mouth.
Large general contracting firms often finance the whole project and gain profit. In case of government contracts the finance has to be brought in by the registered company. The payment is realized in installments upon work completion as mentioned in the contract. By all means this is a profitable business but difficult ate the same time.
