A Typical Day as a General Contractor

A typical day as a General Contractor: being a self-employed general contractor, I begin the work day with enthusiasm. I love going to work because I get to work in many different areas literally and figuratively speaking. Some jobs last longer than others, but on average I stay in a house for about a week, and then I move on to the next customer.

My work does not become boring because a contractor does many things. For example, I install doors and windows, frame walls, hang sheetrock, paint, do masonry work, electrical etc. My job has me doing something different every day.

Some abnormal responsibilities that my job entails is moving furniture and cleaning. You may not know this, but a good contractor will always move all the furniture that needs to be moved in order to get the job done, as well as mop and vacuum all the floors he walked on in the home. It is important to remember that people must LIVE in the area in which I WORK.

Many problems arise in this line of work. In fact, I am really a problem solver. When I am contracted to replace sheetrock, sometimes I discover termite damage behind the walls. Another common problem would be the effect weather has on my job. On rainy or especially humid days I cannot work outside, and the moisture even affects how the paint dries inside. No one can predict the weather; so many times I have to re-schedule jobs because of rain.

 The most interesting thing about my job is the people. I work for hundreds of customers a year, each with their own personality & quirks. I have to be a very easy going individual, able to be nice but firm.

I do not take my job home with me, and that is perhaps the thing I love best about my work. Unlike office jobs, my cellular phone does not ring at dinner time because of a sudden problem that arose. When I put my tools down, problems cease happening. So when I leave work at 5 PM, I go home with a clear-head ready to spend time with my family.