Brighton general contractor is a manager, and possibly a tradesman, employed by the client on the advice of the architect, engineer or the architectural technologist or the client him/herself if acting as the manager. A general contractor is responsible for the overall coordination of a project. A general contractor must first assess the project-specific documents (referred to as bid, proposal or tender documents). In the case of renovations, a site visit is required to get a better understanding of the project. Depending on the project delivery method, the contractor will submit a fixed price proposal or bid, cost plus price or an estimate. The general contractor considers the cost of home office overhead, general conditions, materials and equipment as well as the cost of labor to provide the owner with a price for the project.

​

Contract documents include drawings, project manual (including general, supplementary and/or special conditions and specifications), addendum or modifications issued prior to proposal/ bidding and prepared by a design professional such as an architect. The general contractor may be the construction manager or construction manager at high risk.

​

​

A Brighton general contractor is responsible for providing all of the material, labor, equipment (such as engineering vehicles and tools) and services necessary for the construction of the project. The general contractor hires specialized subcontractors to perform all or portions of the construction work.

 

Brighton General Contractor is also responsible for the quality of all work performed by any and all subcontractors. The General Contractor's number one priority is safety on the jobsite.

​

Responsibilities may include applying for building permits, advising the person they are hired by, securing the property, providing temporary utilities on site, managing personnel on site, providing site surveying and engineering, disposing or recycling of construction waste, monitoring schedules and cash flows, and maintaining accurate records.

​

​

​

When to Hire Residential Contractors

​

Many people do not realize that the average kitchen remodel takes 5-6 weeks to complete. Not to mention that to complete the remodel you are likely to need an electrician, a plumber, a countertop contractor, a cabinet contractor, a flooring pro, a painter, and someone to install the appliances.

 

The brilliance of a Brighton general contractor is that he can not only coordinate all of these other professionals and schedule them so that one person is not in another’s way, but he also knows what a good price is on their labor charge and how to do some of the work himself, whereas the average homeowner will not.

​

Things to remember when hiring a Brighton general contractors

​

We have often found that many people hire a residential general contractor when they don’t really need one, and on the flip side of that, there are people who don’t hire them when they should. Here are some quick rules of thumb:

• If the job is going to take more than a week, hire a Brighton Hill general contractor.

• If the job requires several different pros to complete, hire a Brighton general contractor.

• If the job requires a few permits, hire a Brighton general contractor.                

 

When selecting a home professional, using a few guidelines can help protect you from fraudulent contractors. These warning signs indicate a contractor who may be running a scam:

• Does not list a number in the phone book.

• Asks you to get required building permits.

•  Only accepts cash.

• Solicits door-to-door.

• Says you will get a discount if you find other customers for that contractor.

• Says your job will be a demonstration.

• Offers exceptionally long guarantees.

• Asks you to pay for the entire job up front.

• Tries to scare you into signing for repairs claiming they are urgent.

• Demands a lien on your property.

 

Always read and understand every word of a contract before signing. If you don’t understand something, ask for clarification. Make sure when you are hiring that you ask for a residential general contractor because this title also applies to professionals who specialize in commercial and industrial projects. Using the word “residential” helps you to ensure that you are not wasting time talking to the wrong person.

​

​

​

​

​