General contracting: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering general contracting

You manage construction projects by hiring and scheduling subcontractors, ordering materials, pulling permits and keeping the owner informed. Customers choose you for a clear schedule, tight communication and a job that moves without surprises.

What customers ask

  • Which trades will you hire directly, and which will you subcontract?
  • Who pulls the permits, and how long will inspections add to the schedule?
  • How will you handle a change order, and how fast can I see the price?
  • What is the schedule, and what can slow it down?
  • Can you show me insurance and license records for your crews?
  • Who will I talk to on site, and how often will I hear from you?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask for the drawings or the design status, the target start and the budget range the owner has in mind, then say how you will schedule the trades
  • Walk the site with the owner before you bid and list what you found, such as access limits, existing wiring or unknown framing
  • Break the quote into phases and trades, with allowances and the material lead times that could affect the schedule
  • Show a sample schedule from a past job, with the milestones and inspection dates marked
  • State in writing how change orders are priced, approved and documented before work starts
  • Give the owner a single point of contact and a fixed weekly update in writing

What to put on your profile

  • Post photos of finished projects at each stage, with the phases and trades noted
  • List your licenses, insurance and the trades you coordinate directly, with the subcontractor types you use
  • Show project types you run, such as remodels, additions and new builds, with the typical size of each
  • Describe your permit and inspection process so customers know what you handle and what they need to provide

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a post-project walk-through with a written punch list and a warranty summary
  • Suggest a maintenance schedule for the systems you installed or the exterior you finished
  • Offer to keep the project file, permits and lien waivers in one place for the owner's records at closeout

Licenses and permits

Many states and localities require general contractors to be licensed or registered, and projects often need a permit regardless of the contractor. Check with your state and local licensing agencies and your local building department for your license class, bonding and insurance requirements before you bid.

Questions

How do I handle permits on a job I am coordinating?

Decide up front who pulls each permit and who signs the application. Put the inspection sequence in the schedule so no trade covers work before it passes.

How do I price change orders fairly?

Write each change as a separate line with the labor, materials and any schedule impact. Get the owner's approval in writing before the work starts.

How do requests reach me on infinibell?

Customers describe the job and pick the pros they want by name, and only the pros they picked see the request. Joining is free. You pay only for the leads you accept, and you can decline a request for free. Every pro is reviewed before going live.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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