General Contractor

A professional builder who typically subcontracts to and oversees the work of independent tradespeople. As distinct from a homebuilder, general contractors don’t tend to have a large in-house crew, although some may have a dedicated crew who take on one aspect of the project, e.g., rough framing. When you submit your architectural plans to a general contractor for pricing, they will typically send the plans out to a variety of tradespeople (also referred to as “subcontractors”) who specialize in different trades like electrical, plumbing, or custom cabinetry. The other major distinction between general contractors and homebuilders is that a general contractor typically will not be involved in the overall process until you’ve already substantially developed your architectural plans, whereas a homebuilder will often be involved from the very start.

It’s important to note that the line between “general contractor” and “homebuilder” can be blurry. At BuildConscious, the more general term “builder” is used to refer to “the person building your home,” and the specific terms are used where appropriate.