Have you ever needed a manager or someone in charge when you are wanting to build a development? This is primarily what a general contractor does in commercial construction. They can take on many different roles in the commercial buildings process and ultimately can determine the success of your project. So, making sure to pick the best general contractor is important to your timeline and budget, especially if you are one of the construction companies in Philadelphia, PA. Read on for a better understanding of general contractors’ duties during the commercial construction process.
Job Responsibilities of a General Contractor in Commercial Construction Projects
The responsibilities of a general contractor are copious and can benefit all aspects of a commercial construction project. Most general contractors deal with every facet of what a construction project entails. This can include a timeline of when you want the development to be finished, quality control of how well the work of subcontractors is, budget of how much you are willing to spend, and just the overall coordination of the workers throughout the entire process. These subcontractors could be anyone from plumbers to electricians. It is mainly people of a specific specialty that come in and fix those problems. Also, commercial general contractors can be responsible for getting the required licenses, permits, or other forms of approval for the owner before they start building. Construction companies like DLI Commercial can provide you with some of the most reliable general contractors, so all the hassle is handled.
Understanding the Project Requirements and Developing a Plan
The first thing you would need to do as commercial construction contractors is to fully know and understand what your client wants and what the specific project requires. Then these general contractors will work with everyone on the team to start meeting these goals and planning accordingly. This could be something as simple as getting the entire development finished before the holidays or having the most energy effective type of materials used throughout the build. It primarily depends on what the client wants at the end of the day.
Estimating Budgets
Money, money, money. Knowing how much you are willing to spend on your entire project is extremely important to a commercial general contractor. Once you get a good picture of what the costs will be and what number to not go over, you, as a general contractor, can start to estimate the total budget by outlining what everything will cost and how to get more cost effective things like equipment or subcontracting work.
Supervising the Hiring of Subcontractors and Managing Their Work Progress
Another task that general contractors are notable for is hiring subcontractors and having a construction management team watch their day-to-day duties. You will not be able to keep track of everybody on your project. A general building contractor is there to ensure everything is running smoothly and oversee the subcontractor’s work. The last thing you would want is for something to go awry because a subcontractor messed up a simple task. This could even put your whole timeline out of whack.
Ensuring Quality Control Throughout the Construction Process
Quality control is extremely important in all aspects of the construction process. It is important to know what kind of materials or tools you use and how the construction projects meet all the requirements in the initial planning stages. This can mean doubling the subcontractor’s work or making sure overall work is up to standard. This all falls in the general contractor’s role. If any issues arise, they should be found immediately by the general contractor so that it does not go unnoticed.
Commercial Contractors Perform Final Inspections to Ensure Everything is Up to Code
Another form of quality process is to make final inspections to make sure everything is up to code. This can include checking the structural integrity of walls or beams and seeing if any other repairs or fixes are needed before obtaining any certificate from the local government. If you do not pass a government-level inspection, you might have to start from scratch or with a different plan. That is why it is important to ensure everything is up to code before continuing.
Working With Architects and Suppliers to Make Necessary Changes During Construction
A lot of what the construction industry is is the supplies it takes to make the actual building. Not a lot of commercial property owners know how to find the right supplies or architects. This is where contractors come into play. They can find all the reliable staff you would need while also understanding that all the client’s goals are met without any impositions. Project management can take a lot of thinking, especially regarding the specific construction services that a design can require. For instance, if you want to build educational facilities, you will want to make sure that all these multiple projects will have up-to-date electrical systems, sufficient building codes, and even reliable plumbing, all before pre-construction. This can be cost-effective and provided quickly by working with architects and suppliers of the most expertise.
Summary of Duties of a Commercial Contractor
From reading this, you should better understand what commercial general contractors are responsible for, as well as construction management services on a commercial construction project. There are a lot of things you probably never thought about that needed to be taken care of that the best contractors do. So, having a dedicated and reliable contracting team to cover and manage all these areas is important. Luckily, construction companies like DLI Commercial have provided the best general contractors in the Philadelphia area for quite some time. Reach out to them today to start your project on the right foot.
