According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for building contractors is expected to experience positive growth through 2016–increasing by 11 percent. These professionals are self-employed and work on a variety of projects including residential, commercial and industrial buildings. They also take on specialty projects such as building roads, bridges and tunnels. But to become a building contractor, you must gain on the job experience, get the required licenses and generate new clients. Here’s a guide to becoming a building contractor.

Get experience working for a building contractor. The first step towards becoming a building contractor, is working with one to gain on-the-job experience. It can take a few years to learn the skills needed to venture into self-employment.

Create a business plan. Once you have a few years of experience under your belt, it’s time to create a business plan. This plan will address how you plan to operate, market and finance your building contractor business. If you haven’t created a business plan before, check out BPlans (see Resources) which provides free templates.

Though a Bachelor’s degree isn’t necessarily required to become a building contractor, this field can be competitive, thus giving the edge to candidates who have obtained a degree in civil engineering, architecture, building construction technology, construction management, business or real estate-related subjects. There are also vocational schools and community colleges that offer certificates and diplomas in building, drafting, design, and electrical and building materials.

Almost all building contractors in training follow industry veterans around to gain a sense of the job and its responsibilities. These apprenticeships may be offered in conjunction with degrees in construction management or related subjects. If they are not, many construction firms are open to apprenticeships, which are basically like internships for the construction world. Through the apprenticeships, individuals should gain a sense for how skills, such as plumbing, electrical work and carpentry are utilized in the field.

Nearly every state requires that their building contractors obtain a license. To view the specific licensing requirements of your state, visit the Contractors-License website. Most states require a certain amount of hours attending a state approved contractor’s course, followed by a certification exam. To obtain this contractor’s license, most states require their candidates to be legal residents who are at least 18-years-old with a high school diploma. Most states also require their contractors to carry a state license bond and insurance, including worker’s and liability coverage.

Building contractors are essentially planners. Commercial contractors handle office buildings, schools, shopping centers and other large projects; residential contractors work on private homes, either building them from the ground up, or constructing an addition or making home improvements. Contracting requires knowledge of excavation, framing, roofing, insulating and finish carpentry. The contractor depends on subcontractors for many of these steps, but must understand each phase and how to coordinate them all into a smooth-flowing sequence of events.

Obtain a business license and a builder registration number if one is required by the state in which you live. Also make sure you (and the subcontractors you hire) are covered by liability insurance.

Compile a portfolio of your work that you can show prospective clients. You can present prospective clients photographs of your work–including work you have done on your own house, for friends, or work as a subcontractor or general contractor–or actually take them on a tour. Convincing someone of your ability to construct the building they have in mind is the first step in acquiring a job.

A building or general contractor oversees all aspects of a particular construction project. Most general contractors are self-employed, meaning they work for themselves and pay employees to work for them.
If your commercial construction project is needing someone who can handle the varied problems that come with such a task, contact Wentworth Building Corp in Thomasville Georgia.  Greg Wentworth will be glad to show you his portfolio of satisfied clients who have trusted their own building projects to this great company.

Filed under: Contractor Info

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!