Doing renovations and upgrades can be a pretty labour intensive job; there is a lot of lifting, bending and stretching required. A typical handyman has to consider many things before starting a reno, including safety and may wear safety glasses and a hard hat for protection. A general contractor is also very concerned with safety, but has to wear many hats.

 

A general contractor is usually the leader of a team of people that are making a renovation happen, which means the first hat worn is that of a boss. They have to ensure that the renovation is moving along at a smooth pace; making sure that certain deadlines are met in order to maintain set costs and timelines. This also includes all of the actual physical work they have to do as part of the renovation as well.

 

The next hat worn is that of a translator/therapist. Those on the receiving end of a renovation that happened to be living through it or are anxiously awaiting its completion can sometimes get on the antsy side. They may not understand all of the fine details that are a part of a reno and therefore get overly impatient when they think a particular aspect of it is taking too long. The general contractor has to help keep them at ease by letting them know that it’s part of the process and reassuring them that not only are things moving smoothly but that the end result will be worth the wait. Contractors may also be tasked with translating what is sometimes complicated and technical construction language into something others can understand and digest.

 

Finally, the last hat a general contractor wears is that of office coordinator. They have to take constant calls, texts and emails from clients and co-workers to ensure that everything is on schedule and that there is a happy and healthy work environment.

 

It’s important to remember just how hard a good general contractor is working for you.