A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the construction site, and management of vendors and trades. In addition, keep communication between the general contractor and the involved parties open and clear through out the course of project.

Before starting a job, the general contractor must first assess the project specific documents (referred to as tender documents). In the case of renovations, sometimes a site visit is required to get a better understanding of the project. As a result of this, the contractor will generate a price,

also called an "estimate."  The general contractor considers the cost of materials, equipment as well as the cost of labor to provide the owner with an approximate price for the project.

In these contract documents, the contract agreement includes budget, the general and special conditions and the plans and specification of the project are prepared by a design professional such as an architect.