Hi Guys ... Remember Me, Fiction Writer?

lorizecca

Hope all is well with everyone! I've been writing liking crazy thanks, in part, to the input I received here But I have another question if you're willing!

Order of things:

-General Contractor bids on a job
-Hires Foreman
-Forman hires crews

What did I miss? (Or get right for that matter!)

Oh and about those trailers ...

LOL ... Thanks! Lori

ProWallGuy

Welcome back.

-General Contractor bids on a job
After winning the job:
-Hires Company/s to do the work (most likely, a subcontractor he is familiar with)
Usually more than one sub, IE: plumbing, electrical, framing, drywall, painting, roofing, etc. will all be different companies.

-Forman are usually already employed by the sub companies, overseeing their crews.

__________________
Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

lorizecca

Thanks! This is just what I needed. And, of course spurs more questions:

- Does the general contractor bid on the entire job ... start to finish?

- Does it differ between residential and commercial? Because I'm leaning toward commercial.

- I may have asked this indirectly before, so indulge me, but: Can a general contractor also be his own subcontractor, and therefore hire their own foreman?

Thanks ProWallGuy!!!! Good to be back among such time-honored knowledge!
Lori

ProWallGuy

Depending on the type of GC, but usally yes.

Yes, commercial has a lot more rules/regualtions etc. than residential.

Yes. Say the GC's company has a specialty. They do all the framing, then sub out the rest. In this case, the GC would have a foreman, and crews that did framing. Even if they don't do any of the work, and completely sub out the whole job, if its a big job they very well might hire a 'job supervisor' or 'project coordinator', or something similar who would oversee all the subs.

Hope I answered all these right, I'm not a GC, and I don't play one on TV either.

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

Grumpy

The answer depends on the size of the job to be very honest with you. I have worked as a subcontractor for companies that were one man shows. The GC was the foreman and was the owner of the GC company. I honestly prefer working for these guys when I do new const. I find those are where you will get the best pay and most personal attention AND find a guy who wants to do it right.

Then I have worked for large companeis with an owner, several project managers, an estimating department, and a superintendant/foreman for each job site. They might be running 10 jobs at once and all subcontractors are nothing more than peons on these jobs.

Here is the typical hierarchy, again depending on the size of the general contracting company

-GC Bids on job and when awarded the job will hire subs.
-Superintendant may be on the site at all times, managing day to day operations with the subs.
-Each sub crew has a foreman who runs his own crew only.
-Depending on the size of the job and the sub's trade it could range anywhere from 2-10 men, or more. You will usually have a few experienced installers and a few helpers, in addition to the foreman, on most of my jobs.

lorizecca

Thanks, Grumpy! This really helps me narrow down the type of fictional construction business that fits my character. I appreciate your time and input!!!!

PipeGuy

Another aspect of 'new construction' is that certain trades tend to work around (alongside) certain other trades more often then not because of the sequence in which a building comes together. Landscapers aren't ging to be around when the foundation guys are on-site just as a wall covering sub (like ProWallGuy) isn't likely to run into the steel erectors.
The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) has designated 16 'divisions' http://www.constructionnotebook.com/...IDivisions.asp within which are set forth the specifications for every type of trade. They start with the establishment of various project administartion 'rules' and end with the spec's for electrical work.

Teetorbilt

lorriz, I'm a great proof reader with a few books under my belt. I'd be interested in your project.

I'm a big fan of John D. MacDonald, Hiassen, Leonard, McCullough, Clancey, L'Amour and a host of others.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

painter77

Interesting!

As a passerby who's unaware of what has been going on, I was just wondering whether the fictional business character's mentality is fictional, or as accurate as the contruction details researched here for the story's backdrop.. In latter case, questions can be asked here regarding how a real contractor would think, act, say, or respond in given fictional circumstances..

Crawdad

The GC will have a crew to do the things that aren't in the contracts with the various subs, too. You know, when they say, "That's not my job."
For example, the painter says, "I'm not setting those nails, I don't even have a hammer!"
The carpet-man is ready to lay carpet, now the doors need pulling down and trimming...
The GC will generally have another crew, just cleaning up. It has been my experience that subs, when working on a big commercial job around other subs, leave a mess. Scraps of wire, pipe, sawdust, sheetrock, etc make a crew of broom-wielding cleanup guys needed. Often they are temps or day-laborers, sometimes different guys each day, with a permanant foreman running them.
These guys can be a constant source of amusement, as they try to sneak to the liquor store, or out back for a smoke.

lorizecca

Thanks for the link, Pipeguy! And thanks for the input!!!!! Very helpful!!!

lorizecca

Teetorbuilt ... what exactly are you interested in?

PipeGuy

Is Travis McGee still in Cedar Key?

mdshunk

He's interested in financing it's publishing and promotion. He's loaded!

lorizecca

As a passerby who's unaware of what has been going on, I was just wondering whether the fictional business character's mentality is fictional, or as accurate as the contruction details researched here for the story's backdrop.

i'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION. OF COURSE THE FICTIONAL CHARACTER'S MENTALITY IS AS FICTIONAL AS HE IS ... THE REASON I AM REQUESTING THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE VE BEEN FROM YOU ALL IS TO AUTHENTICATE THE PROFESSION OF THIS CHARACTER, WHICH ALSO FUNCTIONS AS A BACKDROP TO THE ACTUAL PLOT. IS THIS WHAT YOU MEANT????

. In latter case, questions can be asked here regarding how a real contractor would think, act, say, or respond in given fictional circumstances..

I'D BE INTERSTED IN YOUR OPINIONS REGARDING SUCH. SEEMS AS IF YOU'VE DELVED DEEPER INTO THE WRITER'S PSYCHE IN THIS RESPECT. SERIOUSLY, I'M QUITE INTRIGUED.

LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE!
LORI

Teetorbilt

md, totally wrong. I do have a book in the works though, it's working title is 'Life on 30 amps or less'. The really funny part is that I lived on my boat for 2 yrs. before noticing that the breaker in the box was a 20A.

I'm sorry. The real funny stuff occured in the 5+ years that I lived there.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

mdshunk

Fair enough then. I'll revise my statement.

He's dirt poor!

Teetorbilt

lori, e-mail me. You have to admit that this site isn't boring.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Glasshousebltr

Ok, I have one for ya, GC bids, 6 months later he's called to meeting with investors and finance, he's offered a check for 11 grand to go with the flow because he can be rather opinionated...........so do you think I took the check?

Bob

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Bob

lorizecca

Hmmmm ... he took the check, but did he actually keep his mouth shut???