The general contractor is a manager and possibly a tradesman that is employed by the client on the advice of the architect, engineer or the client him/herself if acting as the manager. A general contractor is responsible for the overall coordination of a project.^[3] A general contractor must first assess the project-specific documents (referred to as bid, proposal or tender documents). In the case of renovations, a site visit is required to get a better understanding of the project. 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.

Contract documents include drawings, project manual (including general, supplementary or special conditions and specifications), addendum or modifications issued prior to proposal/ bidding ad prepared by a design professional such as an architect. The general contractor may be the construction manager or construction manager at high risk.

• Construction Project Management Certificate