What Does a General Contractor Do in Construction?

Ever wonder who pulls together the electrician, plumber, carpenter, and bricklayer when you’re building a house or remodeling a kitchen? That’s the general contractor. They’re not the ones swinging hammers or running pipes, but without them, the whole job falls apart. A general contractor is the person you hire to make sure your construction project actually gets done-on time, on budget, and without chaos.

The Role of a General Contractor

A general contractor doesn’t just show up with a toolbox. They’re the project leader from start to finish. Their job starts the moment you sign the contract. They review your plans, get permits, schedule workers, buy materials, and handle inspections. If something goes wrong-a delay, a mistake, a surprise wall full of mold-they’re the one fixing it.

Think of them like a quarterback in football. They don’t tackle or catch the ball, but they call the plays, know where everyone needs to be, and make sure the team doesn’t crash into each other. In construction, that means coordinating dozens of people who rarely talk to each other. A plumber doesn’t care about the roofers. The electrician doesn’t know what the drywall crew is doing. The general contractor makes sure all those pieces fit together.

What They Actually Do Day to Day

Here’s what a typical week looks like for a general contractor on a residential build:

• Monday: Meet with the client to update them on progress. Call the subcontractors to confirm schedules. Order lumber and insulation for the week.
• Tuesday: Visit the site before anyone arrives. Check that the foundation was poured correctly. Take photos for the project log. Call the building inspector to schedule the next check.
• Wednesday: Resolve a conflict between the HVAC installer and the framing crew-both need access to the same space. Adjust the timeline. Order extra fasteners because the wrong size was delivered.
• Thursday: Review invoices from subcontractors. Pay them according to the contract. Make sure all work meets local building codes.
• Friday: Walk through the site with the homeowner. Point out what’s done, what’s coming next, and answer their questions about the timeline.

It’s not glamorous work. Most days are spent on the phone, in the rain, or chasing down a missing permit. But when the house is done and the keys are handed over, that’s when you see why they matter.

How They’re Different from Subcontractors

A lot of people confuse general contractors with the tradespeople they hire. That’s a big mistake. Subcontractors are specialists. They do one thing well:

• Electricians wire the house
• Plumbers install pipes and fixtures
• Carpenters build frames and cabinets
• Roofers put on shingles

A general contractor hires all of them. They don’t need to be experts in every trade-they just need to know enough to spot a bad job. If a plumber leaves a pipe too close to a beam, the contractor catches it before the drywall goes up. If the electrician uses the wrong gauge wire, they send them back to fix it.

Subcontractors work for the contractor. The contractor works for you. That’s the chain. If something breaks after the job is done, you call the general contractor. They’re responsible for everything that happens on-site.

Why You Can’t Skip Them

You might think, “I’ll just hire the plumber, the electrician, and the carpenter myself.” It sounds cheaper. But it rarely works.

Without a general contractor:

• Materials arrive at random times. The roofers show up before the foundation is cured. The windows come in after the framing is done.
• Permits get delayed because no one knows which ones are needed.
• Inspections fail because the work doesn’t match the plans.
• No one takes responsibility when things go wrong.

In 2024, a study by the National Association of Home Builders found that owner-managed projects were 47% more likely to go over budget and 3 times more likely to take longer than planned. The main reason? Lack of coordination.

A good general contractor saves you money-not by cutting corners, but by avoiding costly mistakes. One missed inspection can cost $10,000 to fix later. A misordered material order can delay the whole project by weeks. They prevent those problems before they happen.

What to Look for When Hiring One

Not all general contractors are the same. Here’s what matters:

• Licensing: In New Zealand, they need to be registered with the Licensed Building Practitioners (LBP) scheme. Check their license status on the LBP register.
• Insurance: They must have public liability insurance and workers’ compensation. Ask for proof.
• References: Ask for three recent projects similar to yours. Visit them if you can.
• Clear contract: It should list every task, timeline, payment schedule, and penalty for delays.
• Communication style: Do they answer calls? Do they send updates? If they’re hard to reach now, imagine how they’ll be when the roof leaks.

Avoid contractors who ask for 50% upfront. That’s a red flag. Reputable ones ask for 10-20% to start, then payments tied to milestones.

When You Might Not Need One

There are exceptions. If you’re doing a small job-like replacing a bathroom vanity or installing a new kitchen backsplash-you probably don’t need a general contractor. But if the project involves:

• Structural changes (moving walls, adding floors)
• Plumbing or electrical rewiring
• Building permits
• More than two trades working at once

Then you need someone to manage it. Trying to DIY the coordination is like trying to run a hospital by yourself. You might get one thing right, but the whole system collapses.

The Bigger Picture

General contractors don’t just build houses. They build trust. When you hire one, you’re not just paying for labor-you’re paying for peace of mind. You’re paying for someone who’s been through this 50 times before and knows what to watch for.

They handle the stress so you don’t have to. They keep the noise down, the mess contained, and the timeline realistic. They protect you from bad workmanship, delays, and legal trouble.

In the end, a good general contractor doesn’t just finish a job. They make sure you’re happy with the result-and that your house lasts for decades.