Dad's retiring from his 40-yr drywall business — should I start my own GC/remodel LLC?
TL;DR: I grew up in my dad's drywall contracting business (40+ yrs) — bookkeeping, invoicing, running $100K+ projects, dealing with owners and architects. Went to college for accounting, worked a corporate job for a while, now run a small bookkeeping/tax business on the side. Dad's retiring soon and I want to start my own GC/remodel LLC, subbing out the physical work and focusing on client relations, QC, and the business side. I have the experience and the industry knowledge, but I'm second-guessing myself — hiring subs I can't fully control, pricing (cost-plus for big jobs, lump sum for small ones), and whether I'm ready. Meanwhile I see people with way less experience start GC businesses and do fine. Is this just a confidence problem, or am I missing something real?
Background
I got into construction young, working for my father's drywall contracting business (40+ years running) — labor, invoicing, bill pay, year-end bookkeeping. Left for college, got a bachelor's and master's in accounting, then came back and kept working in the business alongside my degree.
We stayed busy through COVID, but work slowed down at the end of 2024 into 2025. I got nervous and took a corporate WFH job. Around the same time I started a bookkeeping/tax business on the side, which now does well enough to cover my mortgage and then some — I plan to keep it running either way.
Why I'm considering this
We mostly did residential work, and it went well, but my dad did most of it himself with his crews. He's getting older and getting ready to retire.
I'm not interested in doing drywall work myself long-term — I'm not as skilled at the physical work as he is, and I don't want to be swinging a hammer anyway. I'd rather sub work out and focus on QC, client relationships, and running the business. I've managed projects up to $100K, dealt directly with owners, and handled the bookkeeping and taxes for the business.
One of the reasons my dad's business never grew, in my opinion, is that he couldn't let go of control. He knows how to do almost everything himself and wants it done his way — usually he's right, since he's a genuine master craftsman, but it kept the business small. Meanwhile, I've seen plenty of other contractors out there doing work that isn't at a high standard. I've had architects with 40+ years of experience ask me, in my 20s, for input on $500K+ projects. That's when it clicked that I might actually know more than I give myself credit for.
My dad has flipped about 10 houses over his career, several of which I helped with — always done ourselves, occasionally with an uncle or cousin, never subcontracted out.
Where I'm stuck
On paper, my experience backs up starting this. But I'm still fearful. I have some of that same perfectionism my dad has, just not as extreme, and I know how to set boundaries and rules for myself.
My specific worries:
- Hiring subs who won't do the work to the standard I expect
- Pricing model — I lean toward cost-plus for larger projects and lump sum for smaller ones (bathroom/kitchen remodels), and I'm a transparent person by nature, which doesn't always match how the contracting world operates
- Whether I'm actually ready, versus just scared
I've seen couples start GC businesses from scratch with little to no experience and "reinvent" the industry. I can't help but think I already know more about this process than they did when they started — so what's actually holding me back?
The plan
Once my dad retires, I'd start a new LLC and take over the phone number he's had for almost 40 years — well known for drywall work, and constantly asked if we do other types of jobs, which we've always turned down. We've turned away a lot of work over the years just because we stuck to drywall only.
My question
Is this just a mindset/confidence issue and I should jump in, or is there something real here I should be more worried about? Would love to hear from contractors who've made a similar transition — from working under a specialty trade business to running your own GC/remodel operation.