What To Consider As You Hire Commercial General Contractors Edmonton

By Enid Hinton


General contractors are responsible for the daily oversight of construction sites, management of vendors and communication of information to the parties concerned as a construction project progresses. They are also referred to as prime or main contractors. They are employed by clients with the advice of architects, engineers or architectural technologists. If you are acting as the manager of a construction project, you can employ a general contractor directly.

Commercial general contractors work on commercial construction projects like roads, schools, office buildings, government institutions and shopping centers. They liaise with their clients, developers, trades people and municipalities to complete projects on time and on budget. By working with commercial general contractors Edmonton residents can complete construction projects efficiently.

The main contractor coordinates an entire construction project. He or she first evaluates the project specific documents, which are known as tenders, proposals or bids. If a client is remodeling a property, the main contractor visits the property to know what is required. In order to provide a client with an accurate estimate, this professional also considers the general condition of a property, costs of labor and materials and the equipment needed to complete the project.

The prime contractor is also responsible for providing the material, labor, services and equipment needed to complete a project. He or she hires specialized subcontractors to perform specialized construction work. Some of the other responsibilities of a contractor include securing the property, applying for building permits, managing personnel on site, providing temporary utilities on the construction site, disposing construction waste and maintaining accurate records.

As they hire prime contractors in Edmonton, AB, consumers should consider a number of things. One of the things to consider is whether a contractor has a license. A contractor can only get a license if he or she passes a written examination and continuously updates him or herself about building codes and building practices. By hiring a licensed prime contractor, Edmonton residents can rest assured that they will receive high quality services.

You should also ask the contractor if he or she has general liability insurance. This kind of insurance will protect you if any loss occurs as the contractor completes a project. You should also find out whether the professional has workers compensation insurance so that you will not have to pay the medical expenses of any worker who gets injured as the project is being completed.

The other thing to consider when hiring a commercial prime contractor is whether the work will be guaranteed. If the contractor guarantees the work, you can know that anything that may go wrong will be resolved. You should also find out how the professional will handle any issues that may arise after the project ends.

As you hire a contractor, it is also a good idea to request for an itemized bid. With such a bid, you can know exactly what you are paying for and how you may save money on expensive items by exploring other options. You should also ask the prime contractor to provide you with a written lien waiver. This document act as proof that you have paid a contractor and it can help prevent payment disputes.




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