Q & A

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

What is a general contractor?

When starting a home remodel or new construction project, you will probably hire a general contractor. A general contractor is a professional who is qualified to take a set of building plans and construct them as outlined. The general contractor may help perform the day-to-day building, or they may just hire workers and oversee all the work activities. In either case, the job of the general contractor is to see that your project gets built.

When you have a building project, ask for bids from various contractors. The bids tell you how much each will charge and what their scope of work will be. Once you have selected a bid, you sign a contract with that general contractor outlining the specifics of the project and the milestones during the project when they will receive payment installments. Once the contract is official, the general contractor will bring in their crew to begin construction. The contractor will manage the workers and subcontractors (anyone who doesn’t work directly for their company but that they need to outsource, like a marble installation pro), order all the materials, obtain work permits, and confirm that all the workers and subcontractors are completing their projects as planned. They typically handle all the payments to the workers and subcontractors, and send you invoice. For all these reasons, it’s also especially important to follow a few smart hiring practices when it comes to finding a general contractor. If you are organized and competent to oversee construction projects, and are able to make sure everything is being built properly and meeting code, it’s possible you can be your own general contractor.

How do you choose a commercial general contractor?

A commercial contractor provides similar services as a residential general contractor but specializes in working with large-scale projects for businesses, schools, nonprofits, governments and development firms. When researching commercial general contractors, review their portfolio of work and confirm they have ample experience working in the area you need. For example, if you are building a small strip mall, ask if the contractors have experience successfully incorporating all the needed elements such as a parking lot, meeting ADA requirements, accessing the proper permits, and completing work on time.

Once you’ve identified several qualified candidates, request bids for your project and then compare the scope of work with your needs and budget. Your commercial general contractor should oversee design, permitting, construction, materials purchase, and adherence to building code and zoning regulations, as well as sticking to an agreed-upon budget and schedule. It’s important to establish clear communication with your future commercial general contractor, as this will mean a smoother process for everyone. For all these reasons, it’s also especially important to follow a few smart hiring practices when it comes to finding a general contractor.

What do general contractors charge?

If you’re doing a home remodel, building a new home or embarking on a commercial building project, you’ll hire a general contractor. A general contractor is a professional who is qualified to oversee and execute construction projects. Each construction project is unique; even two duplicate homes built on lots next door to each other could have different construction costs due to factors like different excavation costs when building the foundation. Since each project is unique, many general contractors make bids on potential construction projects. These bids can then break down to a per square foot cost that encompasses the labor of all the workers needed for the job, materials, the scope of work, and any equipment needed. Materials and finishes make a major difference in your cost per square foot. For example, choosing standard kitchen tiles at $3 per square foot will result in a lower total project cost than imported marble tiles that cost $63 per square foot. Where you live will also affect how much general contractors charge, as labor and the cost to do business can cost less in many regions than in high-cost areas like New York or San Francisco. Here are some examples of average costs general contractors typically charge in various regions:

Home addition in San Francisco: $250-$270 per square foot.
New home construction in Knoxville, Tennessee: $100-$200 per square foot.
Kitchen remodel in Tennessee: $40-$80 per square foot, depending on finishes.
Bathroom remodel in Vancouver, Washington: $110-$170 per square foot.

Be sure to check out our smart hiring practices when it comes to finding a general contractor.

Connie V.

Verified review

Matthew Kelly is hardworking and honest. He strives to make the job go as well as possible. After other contractors said no or did not return my calls, he responded quickly on the weekend, and he completed the job in a timely manner. Matthew's operation is lean and responsive. He is pleasant to work with and has my recommendation.

Christina E.

I've literally communicated with or contacted at least five contractors over the past two months to complete this flooring job. Salinas was an answer to prayer! Whereas other sites or contractors told me to wait and/or never got back to me or took others jobs, Vyron responded promptly within an hour when I posted the job on Thumbtack. Vyron and Pablo did excellent work putting down a new subfloor and plywood, then installing an LVP (see photos) and a new toilet (not pictured). Vyron communicated about every step of repair and installation and about every purchase for the job. He takes pride in his work and left the work area clean. I'm so glad that the job is finished and that it was done well.

Ben F.

I hired Jasper from My Apartment Is Better Than Yours. I think they did a terrific job at a very reasonable price. I'm really pleased that I decided to go with them. I had a number of unusual carpentry tasks to complete when I moved to my new place. The windows were old and the wood was irregular and moldy, so the wood around the antique glass panels needed to be replaced. I was told those windows hadn't been opened in 40 years, but now they work perfectly and you'd never know the wood wasn't original. Also, several doorways lacked doors when I moved in, and were unusual rounded shapes cut into the stucco without doorframes. Jasper was able to make me custom doors with antique iron-wrought handles, and they look awesome. I also needed threshholds worked on, cabinets put up, new benches made for my roof deck, a custom projector and screen put in, antique chandeliers installed, a lock repaired... and I'm probably forgetting one or two things. They are in the process of putting the finishing touches on my humidor (they had to build me custom legs for it), and it's going to look spectacular. Anyway, they knocked it all out of the park. They were prompt and clean and didn't cause much of a disturbance despite all the work they were doing. They'll be my go-to for anything I need done in the future. I definitely recommend them.

Ann N.

John Cullen was great to work with. I had to call on him with a tight time line for my project and he delivered as promised. He was punctual with his proposal and showed up on on time. His lath and plaster pass the city inspection with no problems. His finished stucco work matched my existing style of exterior stucco seamlessly. Him and his crew were respectful and professional. They left my house clean. I would highly recommend him.

Francisco S.

Working with Juan was a terrific experience. He is very transparent about setting expectations: what is he going to do, how is going to do it and how long will it take. He will get the work done in a timely and clean manner. We were able to book him in advance (which was about 2 weeks prior) but I understand he will do his best to accommodate clients on a shorter notice. If you have been struggling with other handymen/contractors (as I was!) I truly recommend you to use Juan's services - he is super easy to work with and very reliable.

Gayle M.

I was helping my daughter find a contractor for siding replacement. Carlos contacted me soon after my request for quotes. I asked him questions more than once, since my daughter kept coming up with more. Carlos was very responsive, answering the questions quickly and professionally. Even though my daughter decided on another contractor, you can't not notice an obvious regard for the customer that will more than likely be reflected in his work.

Barbara R.

We were thoroughly satisfied with the concrete work done by Kris Fredrickson, Anderson Construction’s concrete contractor. Our new driveway and sidewalk look great. Kris listened to us and did his best to accommodate our wishes, going above and beyond. We would definitely hire him again and recommend him to others. And Mike Anderson stayed in constant communication w/us making sure that we were satisfied with how the project was proceeding.

Devon T.

I ended up interviewing 10 different contractors for our exterior siding job because there were so many different opinions on what needed to be done and how best to do it. I'm so glad that we ended up going with Kris and his team. Great communication throughout, incredibly high quality of workmanship on a very difficult job (it is an older house that hasn't been maintained very well before we bought it). I really appreciated Kris' attention to detail and letting us know what was going on throughout the 6 week long process. Also did a great job working with the county inspector, which is never an easy process. These guys are pros - won't hesitate to hire them again for our next house project!

Aaron H.

Eddie converted our unfinished garage into a guesthouse/playroom. I couldn't have asked for more from a contractor! Not only was his work outstanding, but he is a great communicator, punctual (the job finished exactly on time), and change orders were fair and reasonable. He also had valuable suggestions that I hadn't thought about and he pointed out important details that other contractors missed when the job was bid. I just hope he's available next time I have a project!

Natallia S.

I hired them to lay the engineered bamboo floor in my condo. They did exactly what promised and in the time they originally specified. I have been doing remidelling and construction of my rentals and my resident for the last 10 years and very much familiar with the business. Out if many contractors or handymen i met Jason and Regina are the outstanding team. They work fast, they are very proactive and attentive to details. And their price was reasonable. What is the most important for me is that they do listen to my suggestions - not like many macho style contractors:). The floor work looks absolutely great and i am very happy. So that i would like to hire them for other work on my rental property.

Skye L.

I'm a new homeowner in Oakland and needed an engineers help with drafting my floorplan for bathroom addition permits. I decided to hire individual contractors without paying the fees of a General Contractor. Oh did I get lucky to have found Mike who not only provided excellent service in drafting but also offered his expertise on design and construction. Mike assisted with my brainstorming and troubleshooting process beyond what I had expected. He was knowledgeable about city regulations and offered sound advice on where to locate fixtures. I appreciate working with Mike to jumpstart the project and would highly recommend him for drafting and engineering services.

Kat B.

Great job re-roofing my house. Was tar & gravel, aged & leaking. New modified bitumen roof and gutters look great! These guys really take pride in the quality of their work, which was appreciated. (Communication with the head roofer was a little tricky, no trouble communicating with Israel though!)

Hanna G.

Sergey and the Wise Stage crew are the best contractor team I've ever worked with. Sergey was honest, responsive, and stayed on time and in budget. We had a complicated bathroom addition that included structural changes, plumbing, tiling, windows, electrical and more. They delivered a beautiful and high quality bathroom for us at a significantly lower price than other quotes we received. I give Sergey my highest recommendation. They are the best.

Taye N.

After 4 estimates from different general contractors for gutting & redoing our interior, adding an extension & rooftop deck.... we were filled with stories of complications, long delays (like 6 months of construction) and very high estimates that carried no guarantee of what it might actually cost in the end. We chose who seemed most reasonable & the first 2 weeks we just felt like we were being milked. The contractor spent more time explaining problems than offering & implementing solutions. THEN CAME Refresh and Build :) We decided to split the jobs between renovations & new construction & hired Refresh & Build for the new construction. The contrast of work progress & enthusiasm was unbelievable. Within a week the team took over, completed EVERYTHING in 2.5 months at half the budget others had given us. I highly recommend Refresh & Build!

Stella A.

After months of searching for the right contractor to do our remodel of our master bath,we found pacific and the process and the way they handle and do remodels is genius, we just finshed with them about a week ago , and I am beyond happy with the finshed product. Moran and his team kept me informed and involed in the process the whole time , not everything little thing he came to me with , only decision they he knew i would want to make , I selected who i wanted to do the work, i knew everything up front , i wasnt hit with a bill after. Or change orders. and after a bad kitchen refacing( with another company ) that took months and tons of problems , I was kinda scared to countitue , but Pacific gave me my joy back , I will forever be thankful for the time and energy moran put into the project.

Isaac K.

After getting quotes from several contractors, I ultimately chose to work with Tom and Gal to remodel my bathroom. Tom arrived for the estimate with an easy going, friendly demeanor. He gave a positive first impression, giving an objective assessment of the apartment's condition and work that would be required for the job. The quote that was emailed later that evening was better than the rest by a significant margin. In the next phase of the project, I deal with Gal. All details of the project were agreed upon, including the scope of work. During the 14 days of work, I stopped by numerous times . Tom was friendly, hard working, and professional - he completed the whole project smooth and without any issues. After a final inspection, a few touch ups were required, but were completed on the following morning without question. The final results were very nice and clean. Tom went above and beyond by doing some extra work that was requested during the project. He took down an existing chandelier and installed a new light fixture in the living room. Due to poor design, the install was not as straight forward as it should've been. Tom stayed late with his team on the final day to finish installing it for me, which was very much appreciated. I highly recommend Tom and Gal - they are a great team, down to earth in dealing with people, and will come through on their word for your project.

Carlo I.

Aldo saved us thousands of dollars! We’ve been battling a mystery leak in my garage on rainy days. Multiple contractors told us it’s our roof and that I’d need to spend the $$$$$ replace it and then wait for the rain to return to confirm the problem was fixed. While we agree that the roof needs to be replaced soon, we were skeptical about having it done immediately. Then Aldo responded to our Thumbnail req. Aldo’s approach was totally different- he suggested a more scientific approach, starting with a thermal camera and a scoping camera. By using both of those devices, he proposed the leak was originating in a window not the roof. After a 15 minute water test he verified his hypothesis with relative certainty. Days after installing a new window the rains returned but the leak didn’t! With the problem solved, Aldo turned immediately to the finishing work- moldings, trims, drywall etc. –the results are beautiful. Having worked with contractors in the past, I know that smaller jobs can linger for long periods, and communication with contractors can be frustrating. It is absolutely NOT the case with Aldo. He’s responsive, transparent (i.e. provided options and the corresponding impact to the original quote), and never out of touch. He sets realistic and reasonable expectations. More importantly, he shows up as promised. We're excited to have him work on a few more projects in the near term. Thank you, Aldo!

Annette T.

Sebastian was very conscious regarding scheduling sub-contractors. He and his workers were here every day. They also cleaned up every day. Workmanship was great. I would definitely hire him again.

Ali A.

Daniel and crew were amazing! They renovated our entire house; kitchen, two full baths, one half bath, new interior/exterior paint,refinished hardwood floors and installed new hardwood in kitchen to blend perfectly with existing hardwood. I made a few changes to the original plan, and Daniel was extremely accommodating! I could not be happier with the end result. We ended up needing to complete the project sooner than anticipated and John sent reinforcements to finish everything up, again EXTREMELY accommodating. Their quality of work is wonderful, especially their tile work since we choose some more challenging ptterns and tiles to work with. Will definitely use them again.

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