Articles

Why use a licensed general contractor in NJ?

by Nicki Jenns Solo Traveler

Like we always say, there is a lot to take care when you are planning something related to construction. Whether it is a small project of installing a pipeline or a huge bathroom remodeling project, you need to have everything at its best. 

How are you going to ensure that? You need to check the construction, arrange for manpower, manage accounts and keep track of orders, delivery and timely inventory replenishment. All this takes a lot of time and efforts. Luckily, you have a general contractor to make things easy for you.

A general contractor is someone who takes the responsibility of your construction project from scratch to the final stage. But, is hiring a general contractor enough? Does it cover all the risks, job descriptions and other possibilities related to a project? We are afraid you might be missing a few points.

Hiring Licensed General Contractor:

There are two choices when you are working on a project. First, you can do things on your own, second, you can hire a licensed general contractor to avail next level perfection. 

Even if you are a pro in construction and related projects, there are chances of things going wrong. This means, there are chances of significant losses. On the other hand, a general contractor brings you expertise and skills to enjoy quality project results.

So, what is it about a licensed general contractor? The answer is ‘sense of reliability and security.’ You can easily hire a general contractor, which is also affordable for your project. 

But, this won’t bring you a variety of benefits of hiring a licensed general contractor. Before we discuss these benefits, let us do a quick recap of who General contractors are, their job descriptions and how licensed general contractor are different from ordinary general contractor.

Who is a General Contractor?

In layman language, General Contractor is a one-point source for everything you need for your construction project. This includes providing all of the material, labor, equipment and any services that contributes towards the completion of the construction project. 

He is a designated person who has significant links and can tremendously speed up your construction project process along with offering you complete peace of mind.

Duties of a General Contractor:

There are a lot of processes and procedures to perform and supervise in a construction project. While alone it will be tough to manage, hiring a General Contractor is the key. A General Contractor does anything and everything related to the construction of a project. This includes:

Proving all types of building and remodeling material necessary for the construction.

• Arrange all sorts of permit to ensure the work is in compliance with the legal guidelines.

• Schedule inspection and ensure legal compliance with laws and building codes.

• Manage manpower, hire sub-contractor, and supervise all the procedures. 

• Order, confirm and check the deliveries and pay for the same.

• Manage accounts and maintain book for the entire cash flow. 

• Ensure timely completion of the entire project within the budget.

Difference between a licensed and non-licensed General Contractor:

The basic difference between a licensed and non-licensed General Contractor is the ‘License’. While you can save cost by hiring a non-licensed General Contractor, hiring a licensed one means you are bringing in expertise and security. 

A license means that the person holding it has theoretical ability to perform the job. He/she is qualified and certified to hold the responsibility of the   project along with a cover, if in case anything goes wrong. A licensed General Contractor is the best resource to choose for your project if you want to move forward with everything covered.

How does one become a Licensed Contractor?

There are different set of licensing rules for different states and the one who comply by the rules is awarded with a license for General Contracting. Usually, there is an agency where aspirants have to register. 

The primary pre-requisite of availing such a license is that the contractor has to show that he/she holds the minimum insurance and/or bonding as required by the municipality.  The license often is the first requirement for the contractor to undertake any construction project.

A Licensed General Contractor offers you complete insurance cover to ensure any and every loss is covered to the fullest.

Benefits of Hiring A Licensed General Contractor In NJ.

A licensed general contractor is certified to take responsibility of all your construction related needs. Whether you are fixing plumbing of the house or building a house from scratch, a Licensed General Contractor comes prepared to offer you the best services along with an insurance cover. Here are some of the primary benefits of hiring a licensed general contractor.

They bring along training and experience:

In order to obtain a license, a general contractor has to prove competencies in a number of fields that make them eligible as a license holder. The competency areas include training, on-the-job experience, and standardized testing. This ensures that when a homeowner hires a licensed general contractor he/she receives only the best quality of services in all aspects.

They bring along an intense network of contacts:

A licensed general contractor is your source of exclusive information and variety of resources. Most of the times, Licensed General Contractors brings along an intense network of contacts. The first of this is relationship with sub-contractors that specialize in specific projects like plumbing or electrical requirements. These relationships means you do not have to worry about such projects, and their deadline as experienced sub-contractors ensure the work is done in time and full expertise.

Licensed contractors understand building codes and other legal aspects:

Everything you need for your particular project is best known to Licensed General Contractor. This includes legal and building construction related issues as well. Every state has its own building codes so does New Jersey. The code here is quite complex and specific and thus needs knowledge and experience for successful implementation. Not only a licensed general contractor understands the building code perfectly but also covers any liabilities that comes along with any wrongful in the process. This way you can save time, money, efforts and certainly enjoy peace of mind.

There are legal implications in reserve:

If you are planning to hire a non-licensed general contractor, you might face some legal complications in NJ. Moreover, all the damages occurred during the wrongful construction will be taken care by you and not the contractor. The damage may extend to the neighboring properties as well and thus will be your liability, again.

They help you in applying for permits:

If a contractor has to pull a permit for building a project, he/she may have to prove the district that he/she is able and holds a permit.

They have proved their competence:

Because they are licensed, they have already proved their competence. You can rely on them completely for any type of construction projects.

You get insurance and bonding:

Lastly, but the most important, every licensed general contractor has a minimum insurance and bonding that is mandatory to hold as per the rules of the district. The insurance means that the damage or any wrongful part of the construction will be borne by the licensed contractor and not you.

Why insurance is an important aspect to consider?

If you are wondering why insurance is such an important aspect of hiring a Licensed General contractor, here is the explanation.

Usually, there are two different types of Insurances:

      Liability:

This type of insurance covers all types of damages and injuries caused by the work done by the contractor. In most of the cases, the insurance covers any cost occurred in replacing or repairing the wrong work done.

      Worker’s Compensation:

The General Contractor with worker’s compensation insurance bears all the losses occurred due to any injuries to the worker at the job site. This includes lost wages and medical expenses. In case of death during the accident, it also covers the expenses to be paid to the worker’s family.

How to hire the best Licensed General Contractor?

Before hiring:

You must run a quick background check and also find the reviews of the general contractor online. There are several sites where you can find lists of best Licensed General Contractor New Jersey that comply by the laws of the land.

Find out whether they are licensed or not:

Do not hesitate to ask the license number of the contractor. You must also ask details of their insurance and whether all their permits are current and updated.

Always compare:

Do not just hire the first person you meet. It is important to assess for the best and comparison comes up as the best way out.

Once you have hired the best, maintain all paperwork:

It is important to keep all paperwork well in place to avoid any misunderstandings and disputes later.

Licensed General Contractor is the one that has expertise to bring matchless results in your construction projects. Hire the best one today and enjoy expertise and a complete financial cover against any losses.


Sponsor Ads


About Nicki Jenns Advanced   Solo Traveler

46 connections, 4 recommendations, 147 honor points.
Joined APSense since, May 8th, 2017, From Chandigarh, India.

Created on Jun 6th 2018 14:00. Viewed 764 times.

Comments

No comment, be the first to comment.
Please sign in before you comment.