A general contractor is the person who takes responsibility for your entire construction or remodeling project, turning your plans into a finished result by hiring the right tradespeople, keeping the work on schedule, handling permits and inspections, and being the one person you can call when something needs an answer.
Instead of you tracking down an electrician, a plumber, and a framer separately and hoping their schedules line up, the general contractor does that coordination for you. Here’s what that actually looks like in practice.
Introduction
“General contractor” is one of those terms everyone’s heard but a lot of people can’t fully explain including plenty of first-time homeowners standing in their kitchen wondering who’s supposed to show up next. That’s normal. Most people don’t think about construction until they need it.
This guide skips the jargon and walks through what a general contractor actually does, day to day and stage by stage, so you know what you’re paying for and what to expect once you hire one.
The Short Answer: One Person, One Responsibility
A general contractor’s core job is to be the single point of responsibility for a project that involves more than one trade. If your project only needs an electrician, you can hire an electrician directly. But the moment a project needs an electrician and a plumber and a framer and a drywaller, someone has to make sure they show up in the right order, don’t work against each other, and actually finish. That someone is the general contractor.
Think of it less like an orchestra conductor (you’ve probably read that one before) and more like this: a general contractor is the person who absorbs the hundred small decisions and problems that would otherwise land on you, and only brings you the ones that actually need your input.
What a General Contractor Does Before Work Even Starts
Before a single wall gets touched, a general contractor is already doing a lot of work you won’t necessarily see: estimating costs, applying for permits, and lining up the right subcontractors for your specific project.
That includes:
- Reviewing the scope of work with you and translating it into an actual plan what gets done, in what order, using what materials
- Providing a written estimate that breaks down labor, materials, and permit costs
- Applying for permits with the local building department, which can involve submitting plans and waiting on review
- Lining up subcontractors the electricians, plumbers, and other trades who’ll actually do specialized work and confirming their availability against your timeline
- Ordering materials with enough lead time that the schedule doesn’t stall waiting on a delivery
A lot of homeowners assume “hiring a contractor” means work starts the next week. In reality, permitting alone can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on your project and jurisdiction, and a contractor who tells you that upfront is being straight with you, not stalling.
What a General Contractor Does During Construction
Once work begins, the general contractor’s job shifts from planning to managing making sure each trade shows up when they’re supposed to, checking that finished work actually meets code and matches the plan, and keeping you informed without needing you on-site every day.
Day to day, that looks like:
- Sequencing the trades. Framing has to happen before drywall, rough electrical and plumbing before insulation, and so on. Getting this order wrong causes rework and wasted time.
- Quality checks along the way, not just at the end for example, checking framing before it’s covered by drywall, since problems are far cheaper to fix before the next trade builds on top of them.
- Scheduling inspections at the required stages and being present (or making sure someone is) when the inspector shows up.
- Managing the job site keeping it safe, organized, and reasonably livable if you’re staying in the home during the work.
- Handling change orders. If you decide midway through to move a sink or upgrade a fixture, the contractor documents how that changes cost and timeline instead of just making the change quietly and hoping you don’t notice the bill later.
What a General Contractor Does When Something Goes Wrong
This is honestly where a good general contractor earns their fee. Something will come up an inspector flags an issue, a subcontractor is late, a wall opens up and reveals wiring nobody expected. A good contractor identifies the problem, figures out the fix, and tells you what it means for cost and schedule, instead of letting it become your problem to untangle.
The difference between a contractor who’s just coordinating labor and one who’s actually managing your project shows up here. Anyone can hand out a schedule. Fewer people can catch a problem early enough that it doesn’t blow up your budget.
What a General Contractor Doesn’t Do
A general contractor generally doesn’t perform every trade’s specialized work themselves they hire and manage licensed electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, and other specialists for that. A GC also isn’t your architect or interior designer, though many will work closely with one if you’ve hired one separately.
A few things worth clarifying directly with any contractor:
- Do they handle design, or do you need a separate designer/architect?
- Will they personally be on-site, or does a project manager represent them day to day?
- What’s included in their fee versus billed separately (permits, disposal, etc.)?
There’s an exception worth knowing about: some general contractors also hold a specialty license electrical being a common one which means they can perform that specific trade’s work directly instead of subcontracting it out. That’s a meaningful distinction if your project has significant electrical scope, since it removes a layer of coordination.
Read more: How to choose the best general contractor
General Contractor vs. Subcontractor vs. You
| General Contractor | Subcontractor | You (the homeowner) | |
| Responsibility | Owns the whole project outcome | Owns their specific trade’s work | Owns the decisions and the budget |
| Who they answer to | You | The general contractor | No one, it’s your project |
| Scheduling | Sequences every trade | Shows up when the GC schedules them | Doesn’t manage day-to-day scheduling |
| Permits | Typically applies for and manages them | Occasionally pulls trade-specific permits | Signs off but usually isn’t the applicant |
| Best hired directly for | Multi-trade remodels, additions, new builds | A single, isolated repair or install | N/A — this is who makes the final calls |
Do You Actually Need One?
If your project involves more than one trade, or any structural, electrical, or plumbing changes, a general contractor is usually worth it not because you couldn’t coordinate it yourself, but because the time and risk of getting the sequencing wrong usually costs more than their fee.
You can probably skip a GC and hire directly if:
- The project is a single, contained task (one new outlet, one leaky faucet)
- Only one trade is involved from start to finish
- You have real construction project management experience and the time to use it
You’ll likely want a GC if:
- The project touches multiple rooms or systems
- It requires permits and inspections at more than one stage
- You don’t have the time to be the point of contact for four different subcontractors
What This Looks Like in Flagstaff Specifically
In Flagstaff, a general contractor’s job includes one more layer most national guides don’t mention: understanding the city’s elevation-driven building code amendments. Flagstaff sits at roughly 6,900 feet, which means deeper footing requirements, higher snow-load engineering for roofs, and energy code considerations that don’t apply the same way in Phoenix or Tucson. A contractor without local experience can misjudge these not out of carelessness, but because it’s simply not something they deal with regularly.
This is also where a combined general contracting and electrical company can be a practical advantage. If your remodel or addition involves new circuits, a panel upgrade, or updated wiring alongside structural work, having one company license and manage both scopes removes a coordination step you’d otherwise have to handle yourself between two separate contractors.
Read More: What to expect when hiring a general contractor
Key Takeaways
- A general contractor’s core job is being the single point of responsibility for a multi-trade project planning, hiring, scheduling, and problem-solving so you don’t have to.
- Before work starts, a GC handles estimating, permitting, and lining up subcontractors steps that take real time even before construction begins.
- During construction, a GC sequences trades, checks quality along the way, schedules inspections, and manages change orders.
- A GC typically doesn’t perform every trade’s work directly, though some also hold specialty licenses (like electrical) that let them handle that scope in-house.
- In Flagstaff, local code experience snow load, frost depth, energy requirements is genuinely worth asking about, not just a nice-to-have.
Read More:
FAQ
What’s the difference between a general contractor and a subcontractor?
A general contractor manages the entire project and is responsible for the overall outcome. A subcontractor is a specialist an electrician or plumber, for example hired by the general contractor to complete one specific piece of the work.
Does a general contractor do the physical construction work themselves?
Usually not for every trade. A general contractor typically hires and manages licensed subcontractors for specialized work like electrical or plumbing. Some general contractors also hold a specialty license themselves, which lets them perform that trade’s work directly.
How does a general contractor get paid?
Payment structures vary, but most follow a milestone-based schedule tied to project progress rather than a single lump sum upfront. A written contract should spell out exactly when payments are due.
Do I need a general contractor for a small project?
Not necessarily. If your project involves a single, contained task handled by one trade, you can often hire that specialist directly. A general contractor becomes more valuable once a project spans multiple trades or requires coordinated permitting.
What should a general contractor handle that I shouldn’t have to worry about?
Permitting, subcontractor scheduling, sequencing of trades, quality checks during construction, and managing unexpected issues that come up mid-project should all be the contractor’s responsibility, not yours.
Can a general contractor also be an electrician?
Yes, in some cases. A general contractor who also holds an electrical license can perform electrical work directly instead of subcontracting it, which can simplify projects that involve significant electrical scope alongside general construction.
Why does it matter if a general contractor has local experience?
Local building codes, permitting processes, and climate-driven construction requirements vary by city. A contractor familiar with your specific area is less likely to run into delays or failed inspections caused by requirements they didn’t know applied.
How do I know if a general contractor is actually managing my project well?
Look for clear, proactive communication you should hear about issues and decisions before they become problems, not after. A contractor who identifies potential complications early is doing more than just coordinating labor.
Conclusion
At the core, a general contractor’s job is simple to describe even if the day-to-day work is complicated: they take on the responsibility of turning your plan into a finished project, so you’re not the one tracking down five different tradespeople and hoping it all comes together. Understanding what that actually involves before, during, and when something inevitably needs a decision makes it a lot easier to know what you’re paying for and what a good one should be doing for you.
Planning a project in Flagstaff? GC&E Services (General Contracting and Electrical Services LLC) handles general contracting and electrical work under one roof for homeowners throughout the Flagstaff area. Contact GC&E Services to talk through your project, or learn more about general contracting services in Flagstaff.
Read more Guide:
What questions to ask before hiring an electrician
Home remodeling guide
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