If you plan on building or remodeling any type of real property you will need to conduct a Google search for construction general contractors near me.
Many general contractors offer a full-service approach toward both commercial and residential contracting service solutions, while others may limit their services to the contracting execution of the project.
Regardless when you commence your search for your general contractor before you start the building design or after the documents are completed, the need for their knowledge and resources are universally beneficial.
We will discuss the generally understood and accepted four contracting industry categories for construction general contractors near me.
These industry sectors are residential, commercial, industrial and institutional. Each industry construction sector requires a different approach and skills for executing the specific industry general contracting performance needs.
What is Construction General Contractor?
Let’s begin this discussion by defining what a construction general contractor is and what they do.
Someone searching construction general contractors near me will usually have the need for a general contractor to take complete responsibility for the planning and execution of a construction project.
A general contractor procures all resources including labor, material and equipment for constructing a residential or commercial property.
Determining the building delivery method is normally the first step. The two generally accepted contracting delivery methods are a) the design to build approach or b) design to bid approach.
The design to build method is when the general contractor is hired to produce and be responsible for both the design and construction tasks.
The design to bid method is when the owner hires an architect to complete the building plans and documents to solicit project bids.
Once this decision is made, the owner can assemble the design team to commence the predesign process. Choosing a general contractor is a pivotal step in this process.
The science of the general contracting business practices includes both on site responsibilities and off-site responsibilities.
The on-site responsibilities are often referred to as construction management duties. These include such things as quality control, resource logistics and problem solving during the project.
The off-site responsibilities are often called project management duties. These are the primary business tasks including financial matter, procurement, contracts and insurance administration and master construction scheduling.
The depth of the management responsibilities for each project are defined by the scope of work defined in the contract between owner and general contractor.
Construction General Contractors for Residential Contracting
Residential building construction has different methods and means and building codes than the commercial and industrial sectors.
The residential construction sector consists on single family home building and home renovations. It also includes multi-family construction, which represents building and remodeling of apartments and attached housing.
The primary difference between single family homes and multifamily home building is fire safety because of the danger of the units being attached. This can normally be addressed with the common walls being prepared for a minimum 1 hour fire wall rating.
Residential contracting is primarily performed by building a concrete foundation and using lumber to frame the shell structure in Houston, Texas.
The use of structural framing components is very common, such as preassembled floor and roof trusses. These components increase efficiency and add integrity to the building structure.
Brick and stucco are the common exterior products used with insulated windows and doors. Asphalt composite shingles are the most common roof finish.
Insulation standards have increased due to the national energy codes requirements over the past several decades.
The interior walls and ceilings are typically finished in drywall and painted. Kitchens and bathrooms are the most expensive areas of the house to complete.
This industry sector allows for a lower standard of skill and performance for labor trades. Most skilled labor begin their careers in the residential industry sector to learn their trade.
This sector is characterized by lower skilled trade wages and requires much closer supervision than the other contracting sectors.
Residential building is the largest in national spending than the other 3 industry sectors, representing nearly a trillion dollars a year in expenditure according to US Census Bureau.
Construction General Contractors for Commercial Contracting
Commercial building construction is traditionally much different than residential contracting.
Commercial contracting executes the construction of office buildings, strip centers, warehouses and big box stores.
There are design build contractors that prepare certain types of buildings but the majority of projects are designed by architects and engineers.
The structures are normally big buildings with high ceilings and large open space designs. These types of buildings require steel and / or concrete to accommodate the massive roof spans.
These structures have concrete foundations and several options for the building frame such as concrete floors and steel frames or concrete columns and precast concrete floors.
Structural building components used are precast concrete panels, steel bar joist or red iron steel framing with spandrel panels or store front windows or curtain wall glass for the exterior envelope.
Metal studs and drywall are the typical interior wall finish with the use of acoustical drop ceilings as lids.
Another common difference with commercial construction over residential is that most commercial buildings require fire alarms and fire sprinklers. They are also required to make the common spaces like restrooms, hallways and sidewalks handicap assessable.
As you can see there are far more options for the methods and means for commercial structures than there are for residential contracting.
A few words about commercial contracting labor. There typically is a heightened safety culture practice for commercial, industrial and institutional construction. The safety practice requirements are stricter and enforced better than residential building.
Construction General Contractors for Industrial Contracting
Industrial construction contracting has many of the commercial methods and means but employees some unique techniques and special modified materials.
The industrial contracting sector is primarily used for manufacturing facilities, power plants, refining and chemical processing and warehouse / distribution centers.
Much of the construction work that takes place in industrial locations occurs around existing and processing facilities that increases the risk of potential hazards, which is why industrial contracting requires a safety driven labor culture embedded in all planning and practice associated with the creation and development of industrial facilities.
The existing conditions can also restrict the methods and means of accessing and erecting improvements. Practices such as heavy lifting and hot work impose hazard risk that other types of construction sectors do not present.
Another common challenges to industrial contracting is the remote locations are not easily assessable. Many of these types of industrial process centers are located remotely or at distances away from necessary and essential resources.
Trucking resources to the location and the need in some circumstances of developing work force lodging is a popular logistical strategy to assure that the schedule and proper manpower are achieved.
These projects are also characterized by long lead item materials & equipment orders and engineered shop drawings. The detailed specifications must be reviewed and approved early in the design process in order to procure the materials and equipment before they are needed.
Building site preparations normally include planning for large laydown areas as part of the staging process to accommodate this need.
Construction General Contractors for Institutional Contracting
Institutional construction contracting is the use of a hybrid approach of industrial and commercial construction methods and means for constructing large projects.
The institutional contracting sector is normally associated with large special building projects such as government buildings, sports stadiums, hospitals, museums and educational facilities.
These types of structures present some unique challenges because they require public bidding. Public bidding requires contractors to prequalify as bidders as a condition to presenting a bid.
The pre-construction contracting conditions may include restrictions such as performance bonds, financial statements requirements and the use of prevailing wages.
The bid selection process can be competitive bidding, non-competitive negotiations, or competitive negotiations.
The larger institutional contracting projects often require public bonding and often negotiated as a “not to exceed” contract amounts.
The typical institutional project is large and requires a great deal of time. Due to the expense of these projects, the schedule is a critical factor in awarding the bid and the successful execution of the project.
The actual contracting methods used are those of commercial contracting when it comes to materials, labor and equipment.
The subcontractors are also required to meet a higher level of professional standards and performance.
Conclusion
Selecting the appropriate construction general contractors near me for contracting your major construction project is defined by the need for the type of general contractor, the construction industry sector and the relevant general conditions of the project site.
Surrounding yourself with the right general contractor will increase your chances of mitigating the appropriate risk and producing the optimum results for your project.
