A general contractor is responsible for providing all of the material,
labor, equipment and services necessary for the construction of the
project. A general contractor often hires specialized subcontractors to
perform all or portions of the construction work. When using
subcontractors, the general contractor is responsible for overseeing the
quality of all work performed by any and all of the workers and
subcontractors.
The general contractor's number one priority is safety on the job site.
A general contractor's responsibilities may include
applying for building permits, advising the person they are hired by,
securing the property, providing temporary utilities on site, managing
personnel on site, providing site surveying and engineering, disposing
or recycling of construction waste, monitoring schedules and cash flows,
and maintaining accurate records.
The general contractor may be responsible for some part of the design, referred to us the "contractor's design portion"