A general contractor is responsible for handling all aspects of your home project, from soup to nuts. He deals with bids, permits, subcontractors, plans, materials, labor, communication, paperwork — he is your one-stop shop. He will coordinate all of the subcontractors so their schedules dovetail into the project timeline, and he will choose the right people with the right skills at the right price. A good general contractor is well worth the “extra” fee you would otherwise save if you were hiring each subcontractor individually.
I get more requests for general contractor recommendations than for any other trade. The problem is, there is really no such thing as a generic “come and work on my house” type of general contractor. There are the guys (yes, it always seems to be guys) that build houses, and the guys that build fences. There are guys that install new windows, and guys that install new foundations. The choice of contractor depends on the job you want done. That being said, these are some of my best recommendations for all-around general contractors:
- Jason McDermott
- Eric Burtt Engineering and Construction
- McCutchean Construction
- Mark Oddi
- Troy Wilson
- Winfield Construction
- Dave Ford
- Richard Schwartz
If you work with one of the above, or you find another great general contractor, please let me know who they are, what they did for you, and how it went. I will add your comments to this site, and a lot of people will thank you for it!
Hello, I’m Holly Rose. I help people buy and sell homes in the East Bay. I specialize in fine old homes with interesting or historically significant architecture.