People mistakenly believe that terms such as “custom home builder” and “general contractor”, are interchangeable. These professions often overlap and general contractors can work together to build a client’s dream home. It’s clear that quality new home construction is the result of close collaboration, no matter which party initiated the project.

New Home Construction: Custom home builder VS. General Contractor

A general contractor is someone who oversees the work of subcontractors. However, a custom home builder is skilled in custom building and can complete this type of project from start to finish.

To streamline the process, a home builder will often have a team of people on-site. Custom home builders are not like general contractors. They only subcontract jobs that require special licenses such as electricians and plumbers.

WHAT DO CUSTOM HOME BUILDERS DO?

General contractors don’t usually get involved until construction is complete. Hiring a custom home builder to build a home or condo gives you personal service right from the beginning. The term “very beginning” refers to everything from the initial sketches and plans through the construction and daily excavation. Your custom home builder will handle everything from the initial sketches and blueprints to the day-to-day excavation and construction.

A general contractor may sometimes have their own workers available to help with the many components of a custom built home. A custom home builder is more likely to have an on-call team or in-office staff available to help with any task. If they need to contact other specialists, such as architects or engineers, then a reputable custom builder will have established relationships that can accommodate all of their needs.

WHAT DO GENERAL CONTRACTORS DO?

A general contractor is someone who works with you to build your project. This definition is quite broad and it’s therefore not very different from the work of a home builder for new construction homes in Myrtle Beach SC. However, there are some important differences.

General contractors are responsible for executing project plans. These plans are often prepared by outside experts. Although general contractors can handle many different types of projects they are not usually skilled in building custom homes. It is not unusual for homeowners to need to hire other architects or specialists to draw up plans for the general contractors to get things moving. The custom home builder would normally handle this part of the process.

The general contractor will then work with you to build your home to your specifications. They will hire, schedule and pay all subcontractors necessary to achieve your goals.

BEFORE YOU MAKE THAT CALL, GET ONE FINAL THOUGHT.

Although the roles of general contractors and home builders in Myrtle Beach are very different, they share many similarities. To determine which option is best for you, it’s important to assess your needs before you start a project. You may need to hire specialists, such as architects or designers, and manage some of the project day-to-day tasks on your own if you hire a general contractor.

A custom home builder may be better for large-scale home construction projects, such as the building of a new home. They will be able to execute and manage the entire project from start to finish.

Contact Dawol Homes today to learn more about the differences and similarities between general contractors and custom home builders, or to discuss hiring a custom builder for your next project.

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Dawol Homes
9404 Hwy 17 Bypass,
Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
(843) 294-2859

Dawol Homes Sales Office
3100 Dick Pond Rd # E
Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
843-294-2859

We build homes in: Cypress River Plantation, Waterway Palms, Waterbridge, Murrells Inlet, Collins Creek, Bellwood Landing, Carolina Forest, Plantation Lakes, North Myrtle Beach, Socastee, Surfside Beach, Pawleys Island, Litchfield Plantation