The Duties and Responsibilities of a Building Contractor

A building contractor is someone with a wide range of duties and responsibilities when it comes to the construction of residences or businesses. This individual has a job that entails hard work and thorough review of many processes which accompany the building of structures. Many of the building contractor’s job duties and responsibilities will be discussed in the paragraphs which follow.

What Is a Building Contractor?

A building contractor is an individual who engages in the planning, developing and coordinating of activities which coincide with the building of structures. The building contractor is the individual who oversees the construction and ensures that all necessary measures are taken to result in the completed finished product.

What Are the General Responsibilities of a Building Contractor?

The general responsibilities of a building contractor entail the individual planning and carrying through any and all pertinent activities relating to the construction of a dwelling, building or other structure. The building contractor carries out his/her duties by supervising employees, planning how the project will be carried out and completing the project in a manner which coincides with all laws, rules and regulations which may be in existence and correlate with construction.

What Are the Specific Duties of a Building Contractor?

There are many duties which a building contractor must complete on a daily basis in order to ensure that the construction project is completed in a timely and correct manner. The first duty of the building contractor is to implement a plan in which to carry out the construction project. This extends anywhere from hiring workers to developing a step-by-step timeline that the project will follow from start to finish.

In addition to implementing the construction plan, the building contractor is responsible for hiring, supervising and, at times, firing employees who work on the specific project with the contractor. Along those same lines of supervising the employees, the building contractor must also take care of payroll with regard to the workers and engage in payroll functions or hire someone to do so for the contractor.

The building contractor is also responsible for obtaining materials for the project. Since construction projects cannot be completed without the necessary building materials, it is up to the contractor to acquire goods to build the structures. This involves various forms of correspondence with necessary material suppliers.

Another specific duty of the building contractor is to acquire all necessary licenses and permits from relevant entities so that the building project can begin. These range anywhere from building licenses to zoning permits and there are many regulations that relate to these documents which each building contractor must follow in order to engage in construction.

The building contractor must also do his/her research regarding relevant regulations and laws akin to the construction process. There are many laws which state when, where and how a building contractor and his crew should build in certain areas. These must be recognized and followed by building contractors in order to complete the project in a law-abiding manner.

Budget issues are another item which relate to the duties of a building contractor. The building contractor must establish a budget for the construction project and follow that budget as closely as possible. This will allow the building contractor to obtain supplies, hire workers and finish the construction in a cost-efficient manner. Instituting and following budgets is a serious matter which building contractors should be concerned with as they ensure that the project will be completed as was envisioned in the beginning.

Throughout the construction process, the building contractor is also responsible for reviewing the progress and implementing any changes along the way. The building contractor needs to follow the specific building project closely and make changes when he/she deems it necessary to do so.

Lastly, the building contractor is the individual who deals with all emergencies and surprises which relate to the project and occur on-site and sometimes off-site as well. This individual is the one which many parties go to should they need assistance with an emergency issue that has just arisen.

What Traits Make a Good Building Contractor?

Although each and every building contractor is a little bit different from others, there are certain positive traits which comprise a good building contractor. The first trait which all building contractors should possess is decisiveness. Due to the fact that important decisions need to be made on a daily basis, it is best to have a building contractor that knows what he/she wants and acts on it.

Another good trait for building contractors to have is experience. Although experience may not be necessary in all circumstances, it does aid the building contractor in getting the job done in a quick and efficient manner. This is simply a beneficial trait but not necessary in all cases as everyone has to start somewhere and not every building contractor will have years of experience behind them.

Building contractors should also be good leaders. There are many individuals who are counting on the building contractor to show them the way and this is why good leadership skills are a beneficial trait for building contractors to have. If the employees and supply companies know exactly what is needed of them, they will do a better job in the long run due to this guidance.

Lastly, building contractors should be individuals who can resolve issues in a quick and speedy fashion. Since a delay in one portion of the construction project can hold up the entire process, it is important that the building contractor knows how to resolve issues which may arise during the construction process.

A building contractor who knows how to troubleshoot will see beneficial results in the end.

Summary

Building contractors are individuals with demanding and multi-faceted duties and responsibilities. Those building contractors who are determined, steadfast and seek quick resolutions are ones who may prosper greatly in their occupation. In order to be the best building contractor one can be, acquired experience and decisiveness may be helpful qualities for an individual of this type to possess.