Why Your "Savings" on a GC Will Vanish Overnight!
You want to save money, so you decide to be your own general contractor. It’s a tempting idea, cut the middleman and pocket the savings. But in the high stakes world of commercial construction, inexperience can easily cost you more money, time, and stress than simply hiring a professional.
A great General Contractor (GC) provides certainty and peace of mind. They are not merely an expense, but an investment that pays for itself by mitigating the inherent risks and complexities of a building project. Here are five powerful reasons why hiring an experienced GC is crucial, and why that investment is worth every dollar.
1. Knowledge Is Your Financial Shield
Let’s boil right down to it: General Contractors know the industry, and they know it very well. This expertise isn't academic; it’s practical. GCs like Raeco Builders have spent years cultivating solid, reliable relationships with subcontractors and suppliers.
These established relationships are vital for keeping your budget intact. Subcontractors who have long-standing relationships with the GC understand expectations and pricing, which prevents the client from seeing gouges in price that are common when an inexperienced owner tries to hire subs directly. Furthermore, a GC’s connections to suppliers often secure better pricing on materials, ensuring the cost of your build stays within budget.
2. Built-In Budget and Schedule Control
A major pitfall of managing your own build is the inability to accurately forecast costs and timelines. General Contractors understand what it takes to keep within budget and on time because they have years of experience identifying and resolving industry pitfalls.
For Raeco, this commitment to control is reinforced by our status as a self-performing contractor for key trades like concrete and steel erection. By directly employing our own crews, we maintain unmatched control over the schedule and quality, drastically reducing the delays and surprise costs that sideline non-self-performing GCs and owner-builders alike.
3. Integrated Design and Budget Cohesion
In commercial construction, the design and the budget must be inseparable. A professional GC understands what building and design are best suited for the budget and job requirements.
Raeco prides itself on providing the building design feature in their contract with the client, utilizing special CAD software for virtual walkthroughs. This allows us to ensure the design is realistic and affordable from the start. A client who attempts to build without a contractor will likely download or commission designs that quickly prove to be outside the budget, resulting in costly edits and the complete ruin of the financial plan.
4. They Absorb and Manage All Project Risk
If a client acts as their own contractor, they take on all the risk. This means handling liability, worker’s compensation, permits, regulatory compliance, and potential litigation.
Contractors have the proper licensing and insurance connections to plan for and reduce the likelihood of a client being taken advantage of or facing catastrophic liability. Raeco Builders further demonstrates risk management with accreditations like AC478, verifying a formal safety and management system that protects not only our teams but the client’s entire investment.
5. Focus on Your Investment ROI
A professional General Contractor understands the time and financial investment required and works to protect it. Raeco, being a self-performing GC, meticulously plans the timeline from contract signing to project completion. This focus is crucial because the less time it takes to finish the build, the sooner the client can start making money off their commercial asset.
Hiring a reliable, expert-driven partner like Raeco Builders is not an added cost it is the best strategy for ensuring quality, controlling cost, managing risk, and securing the profitability of your commercial venture.