Selecting the right contractor is critical to the success or failure of your construction project. It is critical that you select a firm or someone who is reputable, honest, knowledgeable and can work with you in building your project. Get references from them, check their work out, make sure that they are bondable and that they are experienced in the work that you want done. Not all contractors can do all types of work. Not all contractors can handle a big job.
General Contractor - There are two different licenses issued by the state for general contractors. ABC licensed contractors are engineering contractors. They can build bridges, highways, homes, office buildings, small and large jobs should be no problem to the ABC contractor. ABC contractors are usually the larger construction companies. Some smaller contractors have been able to obtain the ABC license which is not easy to get. The BC contractor is a general contractor but they cannot build the higways, the bridges, and more complex construction projects. The BC contractors are usually the smaller or mid-sized contractors that can build office and residential buildings. Many of them work out of their homes and subcontract most of their work.
The general contractor is the person responsible for coordinating all of the construction work from start to finish. He may hire subcontractors to handle specialized work but he is ultimately responsible for the work. Some general contractors subcontract out all of the work and just do the coordination and others will have crews to do all of the work under one company.
The following contractors are what we call subcontractors. They hold a C license which means that they are specialists in one field of work as subcontractors.
Site Contractor - He is responsible for grading the lot and excavating the lot and getting the building lot ready for the mason and the framing contractor. Depending on the slope and the soil conditions, the site work could run from a few thousand dollars to $50,000+. It is crucial for the site contractor to give an accurate bid for the site work because this is one of the areas of construction where the costs could rise dramatically. Most site contractors will have a clause in their contract that will give them the right to increase the price if they encounter blue rock or other difficult conditions.
Mason - He is responsible for preparing the forms for the concrete that will be poured. He has to wait for the plumber and others who may be preparing the ground or running pipes that will be under the concrete slab. The mason must be accurate in his work and the cement needs to be level or else the rest of the house will be crooked. The ground will need to be treated with termite poison before the slab is poured.
Framing Contractor - The general contractor on the job may have his own framing crew or he may subcontract out most of the work, including the framers. The framers are responsible for laying out the floor plan, cutting all the pieces, building the frame of the building so that the other subcontractors can do their work. The framer will also install the outside siding if it is a wood product. If the outside siding is stucco, then you have to have a stucco specialist finish the work.
Electrician - Once the roof is sheathed over, the electricians will come in and drill holes through the stud walls and run the electrical wires throughout the house. They will install the panel box for the main power switches and install the light switches, electric plugs, air conditioning wires, ceiling fan wiring, cable wiring for the television, telephone wires, intercom, smoke alarm, light fixtures, etc.
Plumber - Prepares the house for the water, sewer, vent pipes, plumbing fixtures, bathroom fixtures, kitchen, etc. The plumber comes to the house before the slab is poured and prepares the sewer and water pipes that will be placed under the slab. The plumber will sometimes drill holes through floor joists and the beams to run the pipes before the house framing is done.
Drywaller - When the subcontractors have finished framing, electrical and plumbing work, the walls are closed up on the inside by a drywall contractor. He will hang the drywall, tape and mud the joints and have the house ready for the painters and other specialists to finish the house.
Painter - He will prepare the walls to paint the house. He must be done with his work before the cabinets are hung and the carpet is laid, etc. He will also paint the outside of the house. The painter's bid depends on the amount of preparation that needs to be done to the house and the quality of the paint that is being used.
Roofer - Once the plywood subsheathing is laid, the roofer will install the felt lining over the plywood and install the roofing material. He is responsible for the water not penetrating the roof and keeping the house dry.
There are good contractors and there are bad contractors. There are skilled craftsmen and there are butchers who happen to have a contractor's license. I will follow up in future articles on other issues that you need to consider when you undertake a construction project.
Good luck to you in your efforts to find a good contractor and finish your job on time and within your budget.
