When hiring a contractor there are several things that may occur to you and come to your mind but certainly that trust built on respected timelines, fair pricing and budget assessment is key.

Therefore we will only recommend reliable contractors for your area but we will never be responsible for their work or for controlling it.

Contractor is always employed by the client or in its behalf and works directly with the civil engineer, the architect, as well all others that may be part of a project such as landscaping and interior designer.

If you already have an idea or the architect has its descriptive document the starting point should be putting everything on a piece of paper or mail, so everyone can quantify and set out their needs and requirements properly. That is the basis for a balanced, predictable and reliable budget. Alternatively general contractor may first assess the project-specific documents (referred to as bid, proposal or tender documents)

Another advise is for you to pass the briefing on the project to at least 3 contractors, by written notice and

If its a new project the architect is really the key person but if its a renovation, a site visit is required to get a better understanding of the project, and contractor gains some extra role as he may addresse importante informations on what can possibly be done or not.

Depending on the project delivery method, the contractor will submit a fixed price proposal or bid, cost plus price or an estimate. The general contractor considers the cost of home office overhead, general conditions, materials and equipment as well as the cost of labor to provide the owner with a price for the project.

A general contractor is fully responsible for providing all of the materials, labor, equipment tools and services necessary for the construction of the project.

The general contractor commonly hires specialised subcontractors to perform all or portions of the construction work but applies for building permits, 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.

In Portugal administrative responsibilities usually are not provided by a contractor but by a third party, usuallly with some kind of law degree and may include