Builders And General Contractors
Builders – also known as general contractors – are those people who are involved in the actual planning, designing and construction of any form of building projects. The construction manager, which is the highest level trained builders can obtain, plan, direct, and coordinate the projects, making sure that the tradesmen below them complete their portions of the job properly and on time. Builders of all levels work on one construction job and there can be a numerous construction managers involved in the job. These managers are responsible for the hiring of the workers and oversight of the different aspect of the project. Most builders who make it to a managerial position usually start out as part of the labor force and work their way up over the years.
Builders can range from hourly to salaried employees and some of them are even self-employed and are hired as contractors for the job. The company they work for are contracted by the property owner, developer, or other contracting firm that is involved in the overall construction of the project. The managers in building firms or on a construction job are usually involved in the construction from the conceptual phase and groundbreaking of the project clear through completion. It is important that any project builders of all levels are involved in have the project completed on time and within the project budget.
Construction projects that builders are involved in – especially very large commercial ones – are usually divided into numerous segments in order to streamline the building process. Segments could include but are not limited to: site preparation; sewage system development; landscaping; road construction; excavation; foundation lying; and the actual building of the structure itself. Another set of builders then concentrate on the interior of the building, dealing with floors, walls, roofs, ceilings, heating systems, fire-protection, electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning. It is not uncommon to actually have more than one set of builders on a construction job.
A general contractor will also be involved in the purchasing of materials as well as making sure they get to the building site on time. The labor on the site is divided up by the manager and the activities sent down to the builders with a firm calendar of site activities. The division of labor could include designating a foreman how will oversee how the calendar is completed in order and they may need to use specialized computer software to track their progress.
Most builders work outside on the construction during all sorts of weather and conditions. Construction managers usually work out of a field office that is close to the construction site. All builders should be in good physical condition and able to work long hours. They should be aware that they may need to work high above the ground and be able to function in stressful situations. Builders have been known to travel to their job sites that could be overseas. It is not uncommon for builders to be on one job site for months at a time.
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