r/GeneralContractor

Hello everyone! I’m newly licensed in Georgia and I’m getting ready to take on my first remodeling job where I’ll need to pull a permit.
For the contractors in here, especially those working in DeKalb and Gwinnett County, do you have any advice for making sure I start off on the right foot with the permitting process?

I know the obvious answer is to follow the county’s instructions and requirements, but I’m curious about your actual experiences. Are there any common mistakes, things you wish you knew when you first started, or tips that can help avoid unnecessary delays?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi there!

My husband and I own a very small contracting business in Pennsylvania.

We have one full-time employee and one part-time employee and himself.

However, he is the busiest guy in town which is a wonderful thing in many ways, but we are having a hard time figuring out how to structure this to make it make sense.

For instance, my husband takes all the phone calls, is at the job site every day working, does all the estimates, and all the invoicing. It’s a lot on him.

I want to be able to help, but I have no clue how.

We’ve talked about getting a secretary, but the point that we keep getting stuck on is this :

Once she (potential secretary) or myself takes the call and gets the scope of work from the client and takes notes, it doesn’t save much time to then just give my husband a long list at the end of the day of the notes of people to call back and their work they are requesting -

If you have a secretary and they take the call, what’s the next step? How do you streamline this or balance it to make it flow and keep up?

I need procedures

It’s a wonderfully growing business and we know we can take it much further, but I need to know the next steps and where we go from here

Help. Lol.

Thank you so much in advance -

Hello Neighbors,

Looking to start a water restoration company. I have the lead source, just need some advice from anyone with experience on the field.

1. what equipment is required?

2. what certifications are required or recommended?

3. Where can I get the actual contracts that clients must sign?

Any other advice, or feedback would be appreciated?

If there is ways to work together, please let me know.

Thank you all,

Too often I finish a job and realize I didnt make as much money as I thought. Idk if this is just a me problem, but any advice on pricing out my quotes to make them more accurate?

Hello I’m a Class A contractor I have been building spec homes for myself and reselling them. Lately I have been approached by people that want me to build them a house on land they already own. I have been apprehensive about taking those jobs because not sure how to price and afraid to leave something out of a contract with so many variables that can go wrong and I may not budget correctly. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and if someone has a new home build contract they could share. I’m in the Virginia market if that makes a difference. Thank you in advance

We used to do a lot of remodeling. We're now 100% focused on New Construction/ Home Builders. We get a lot of inquires for remodel jobs that we have to turn down. I'd rather partner with a GC that wants to work with us, where we can assist with all the admin, contracts, etc. and create a sort of remodel division. If anyone is in the LA area and interested, please PM message us.

Hey everyone, I’ve been working as a stucco laborer for a while now, and I also have a 4-year degree in Construction Management. I'm ready to branch out and start my own stucco sub-contracting/contracting business.
I'm familiar with basic GC and client documentation, but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything crucial on the administrative side. Beyond basic invoices, estimates, and purchase orders, what other forms, contracts, or paperwork do I need to protect myself and run a professional stucco business? Any advice from guys who’ve made the jump would be greatly appreciated!

-Invoice
-estimate
-purchase order (PO)
- is there more?

Changer order is for general contractor not contractor, correct?

Licensed GC looking for work. Experience as Plumbing and HVAC foreman. Framing and Trim carpentry experience. Experience in heavy equipment and digging. Can't finish drywall or new masonry to save my soul.

Willing to train. Can pull together/lead crews if needed.

Had partnered with a friend to start up Plumbing, but $20k in tools and material were stolen. Recovered 2.8k. Lost the work in pipe due to not being able to perform.

Really just trying to avoid Chapter 7 at this point.

I'm newer to this and trying to stay on top of things. I'm just a small time residential renovation contractor/carpenter and trying to provide good service for my clients. I hope to alleviate some of the headache of building. I have keys to all of my client's houses, so when meeting subs I can access even if they aren't home.

But if they are home I still like to show face and just chat with the subs to make sure everything is understood and going well. Recently had a sub that went from a 3 day job to an 8 day job. So I'm driving 25 mins out each way to met this guy just to only stay for 5 mins to confirm deadlines and see if he needs anything or discuss a client concern if any.

Do you always meet a subs on site even if the client is home? I just don't want to seem like I don't give a shit about the project or if they are making lunch, wfh meetings, or busy in general.

Again I'm small time and I'm not catering to high end clients who never want to be face to face with a sub. Where do I draw the line or who do you handle this situation? I'm also a carpenter so I have other stuff going on I'm just not at a point to scale for a PM ect

So this is kinda random, but my boyfriend is taking the General Contractors exam next month, and I want to get him a little something to mark the occasion if he passes. What would be a good gift?

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.

We just started running Google Ads about 3 months ago for our residential & commercial construction company. We've been getting clicks but nothing has converted yet into real leads. Anyone have any tips on google ads or resources they'd recommend to learn more about them for this industry? Thanks!

Hi. I started my business in March this year after a previous business partnership went south(a tale as old as time). We were primarily doing excavation, and would sprinkle in landscaping contracts to fit in between larger commercial excavation jobs.

I started this business with $0 and have somehow stayed busy all summer. I've done $170k in revenue in 3.5 months and am starting to land bigger jobs. My largest is a $950k commercial job that goes next spring.

All this requires stronger warranty language around my construction.

So my questions are for business owners or landscape project managers here...or anyone else that has strong input based on contracts they've seen.

1. Do you warranty plants & trees? If so, how long? For residential and commercial jobs? I'm currently negotiating a $150k residential project and I know the guy will want one.

2. Do warranty sprinklers? For how long?

I'm not afraid of my quality of work, but if a client doesn't turn on the sprinklers, they will lose plants...

My problem is that most construction or restoration companies wouldn’t necessarily report this formally. If anyone has had a scenario where ACM has been found post ban in materials in a structure please let me know.

I’m 21 years old and have about 3 years of experience in construction. I’ve been working on multi-million-dollar wood-framed apartment and townhome projects and have gotten experience with a lot of the day-to-day operations involved in building large projects. I’ve recently been laid off (ran outta work and I was the lowest guy on totem pole). I have no kids and small responsibilities. I’m fully aware I have a ton more to learn. I’m a committed young motivated man with no quit.

Lately I’ve been seriously considering starting my own general contracting company, primarily focusing on residential construction, additions, renovations, and potentially smaller commercial projects.

I know being 21 is young to start a GC, and I’m not under the impression that I know everything. That’s actually why I’m making this post. I’d rather learn from people who have already done it than make expensive mistakes figuring everything out myself.

For those of you who started your own GC/construction company:

- What do you wish you knew before starting?
- How much experience would you recommend having before going out on your own?
- What were the biggest mistakes you made during your first couple years?
- How did you get your first few customers?
- Did you start with your own projects or subcontract for other builders/GCs?
- How much money would you realistically want saved before starting?
-What should I prioritize first: licensing, insurance, estimating, accounting, marketing, tools/equipment, etc.?
- How did you handle cash flow when you were just getting started?
-Would you recommend starting small with renovations/additions before taking on full home builds?
- What systems/software do you use for estimating, scheduling, contracts, invoicing, and project management?
-How did you build relationships with reliable subcontractors?
- At what point did you hire employees versus continuing to subcontract everything?
-Is there anything you would absolutely NOT do if you were starting over?

I’m not looking for someone to tell me “you’re too young.” I’m more interested in hearing what you would do differently if you were 21 again and had a few years of solid construction experience.
Any advice, criticism, or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated.

This started because I had no idea how much I'd enjoy building. I mean I was interested in woodworking when I was younger. But my dad started his own construction business 2 1/2 years ago and I helped him with jobs he'd get and really learned to like it. He wanted to hire a more skilled/knowledge person because my partner and I were the only ones helping him out with the jobs. My partner is still working. But I stopped in like January of this year. I've been thinking about careers and what I'd want to do and I kept seeing videos about catios, I've also been wanting to build my cats their own because they've been begging to go outside.

I tried asking my dad for some help but he shut me down by saying other people can do that. Sure, but if he had that mindset with his job he wouldn't have his successful business now would he? I think there's a market for it, and he doesn't want to do those types of jobs so it's not like I'd be taking up his business. I also just think he's way to busy to want to help so he won't help guide me. So I'm here.

Here are my questions: Location is Kansas btw.

1. I need to get my GC license, don't have the first clue what that would look like. What would I need to study, what do I need to know, what math skills will I need to brush up on?

2. I think I can do this on my own, but I'm one girl, who really needs to get back in shape since not doing construction. Do you guys think any of this will require more than one person?

3. How would I figure out how much to charge for this type of thing. I'm thinking of having basic/intermediate/large/custom builds on a website and having a set charge for each of them except for custom builds. Or is it bad to have a set price because I know if I show up and something is rotted that I'd put wood posts up against I'd probably have to fix that and charge more? These are things I consider because I've learned from the jobs there's always something more beneath "hey build this!" or do I have a set price and let them know if something needs fixed that I'd need to charge or materials and labor?

4. What website would be best for getting a mockup? I like to have and think it'd be best for customers to have something to look at to change or add if they wanted before building.

5. How tf do you make your contracts? What do you put on them?

6. What are things I need to consider about this business? What troubles would I normally run into going into a specific type of niche? Do i have to worry about fixing drainage before doing these, and if there's anything I'd have to put in with my city like going about having someone check out my work or getting approved by the city to do the job? I get it's not BIG construction. But i'm asking because I genuinely don't know what builds like this require. And I worry if I miss something because I didn't know then I'd get fined.

Before I get the comments because I'm sure I'll get some. I know what I'm getting into, I know things won't be easy and I don't have on rose colored glasses. I'm well prepared for things, but you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. And I want to try to learn and do it. Just need some guidance and I'm coming here because I don't think starting your own business comes with a personal trainer on this type of stuff. Unless it does, then somebody point me the way. Thanks.

For context I am in a major East Coast city working on homes that are in the 800k - 2 million range.

I have attached some photos to give an idea of the scope of work as it is a bit more involved than a straightforward bathroom remodel as this is an older home that had some wonky aspects to it.

Here is the scope work:

-Reframe ceiling and raise ceiling height. The old framing had unnecessary angles to it so we cut out the old ceiling and reframed and re-drywalled gaining about 18 inches and creating one height throughout

-The subfloor was completely shot and uneven so we leveled it using 2x6's sistered to the existing beams and replacing with plywood.

-Remove tub and replace with a tiled shower

-Install fixed pane glass

-replace vanity countertop

-replace toilet

-plumbing work

-tile bathroom floor

We are finished with the ceiling and floor work and have the rest demo'd and i'll have the plumber there this week so hopefully get the tile done some point next week. Right now it is looking like we will finish up right around 12-12,500 all in labor and materials.

Would be curious to hear thoughts on how you all would price this rehab.

For additional context I am doing this for a friend of mine as a test case for pricing and process so I charged him 17k and will distribute the profit to my guys. I am just curious about future pricing.

https://preview.redd.it/dte545idxrjh1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca08a36f5709e4d46a8f366d1a89588e1c0ada4f

https://preview.redd.it/ty85lixfxrjh1.png?width=318&format=png&auto=webp&s=74aec29d67dcacf0898ca1ea7100412ccd765114

https://preview.redd.it/g1kqz7mjxrjh1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=95485cfe76bba721dd0e10407ac0a9b00d863286