Someone who takes on large projects and organizes many trades to complete the job is called a 'General Contractor'. They may take on residential, commercial or industrial construction work, leading dozens or even hundreds of trades workers toward the finished product.

WHAT DOES A GENERAL CONTRACTOR DO?

When a construction or renovation project has passed the conceptual and preliminary planning stage, the project owner or manager will start looking for a team to orchestrate and execute the actual physical work. The professionals that will respond to this call are GENERAL CONTRACTORS.

This person or company will step in to take care of an entire project through to completion, meeting the needs of the contract by hiring labourers, skilled trades or other smaller companies as needed. The implication of the word "general" is that they can handle all aspects of a contractual agreement and construction project management.

The size and type of job will often determine what kind of General Contractor gets involved. Different contracting companies may only take on jobs such as:

• Very large commercial, industrial or institutional projects such as infrastructure, schools, apartment buildings or retail stores.
• Residential developments where hundreds or thousands of homes are being built over a number of years, including the structure for sewers, roads and power utilities.
• Custom homes or small MURB projects.
  

The General will act as the organizer for the project, bringing in multiple trades and labourers to complete various stages:

• Excavation and site preparation.
• Foundation and concrete formwork.
• Steel and rough carpentry.
• Fenestration - doors and windows.
• Energy and blower door testing
  
• Mechanical and electrical.
• Insulation, drywall and roofing.
• Tile, woodwork, painting and exterior finishes.
• Landscaping and hardscaping.

EXPERIENCE and TRAINING

The experience that a General Contractor needs will include knowledge in running a business, trades work and managerial skills. This might entail some of the following pathways:

• Many years working in trades, rising through levels of responsibility and leadership.
• University or college education in business, trades, engineering or architecture.
• Years operating a successful construction, renovation or speciality service company in the trades.
• Experience in fulfilling contracts for a variety of jobs.
• A working knowledge of government and municipal regulatory materials for buildings and construction, with experience in completing projects that are certified through those agencies.

A General Contractor may be an individual running a small custom housing operation, or may be a large company with hundreds of employees completing massive public infrastructure projects.