General Contractor vs. Remodeling Contractor

07 Apr General Contractor vs. Remodeling Contractor

When you hire someone to work on your home improvement project, you probably want a specialist in the task at hand — but you also need someone who is licensed and capable of fulfilling the entire job.

General contractors have the resources and talent to assume full responsibility for remodeling and renovation projects. By choosing a licensed general contractor, you protect your investment and safety because the work will be completed up to code, on schedule, and on budget by someone who knows how to handle both small and large jobs.

A remodeling contractor is an unofficial designation. Most contractors who label themselves a remodeling contractor are actually general contractors whose business simply specializes in remodels. Just make sure that they have all the right licenses and that their background includes the type of project you have in mind — in most cases, a general contractor license is required.

What Is a General Contractor?

General contractors manage any kind of building, renovating, or remodeling project. A general contractor provides a strong background in framing and carpentry along with many other skills.

Because remodeling jobs typically involve several specialty areas, the general contractor serves as a project manager who coordinates the entire job. Most remodeling jobs involve several specialties such as plumbing, electrical, drywall, and carpentry. When your remodel involves more than two specialties, you really need a general contractor.

What Is a Remodeling Contractor?

Remodeling contractors specialize in improvements to an existing building. However, California does not have an official designation of “remodeling contractor.” This makes it extremely important that you investigate the licensing of a business that calls itself a remodeling contractor — are you really dealing with a general contractor emphasizing their remodeling work? Or is it a handyman or limited specialist?

A remodeling contractor would need to hold specialty licenses for every task they personally perform — or else they need to subcontract to a specialist. Unless your job is under $500 or only requires one particular license, your remodeling contractor needs to be licensed as a general contractor.

When to Hire a General Contractor or Remodeler

What seems like a small remodeling project may entail a broad variety of skills and expertise. For example, plumbing contractors work on bathroom remodels but the job likely requires licensed contractors for flooring, insulation, HVAC, asbestos abatement, and other fields.

How to know if you need a general contractor for remodeling:

• The parts and labor exceed $500
• The work involves multiple specialties
• You want protection against injury and property damage during the project
• You want to reduce your personal stress levels and the time spent coordinating the project

In other words, remodeling projects always benefit from the expert services of a licensed general contractor.