How to Become a General Contractor  

Being a general contractor means taking business from a local neighborhood level to the state level. With a license, your customer base will increase, and you will be able to offer more services. But, becoming a contractor takes dedication and hard work. You’ll have to prepare in order to step into this rewarding career.

This guide will show you have to become a general contractor. This is not a be all end all guide – the process varies by state. So, take the advice and steps offered here with a grain of salt and realize that there are multiple ways to achieve your dreams. 

Pass the State Contractor Exam 

This is the most important thing for becoming a contractor. You’ll need to pass the state exam in order to get your license. But that doesn’t have to be a scary process. There are plenty of websites like https://contractortrainingcenter.com that offer full courses to help you pass the exam.

These websites are designed to help you pass your exam the first time, teach you only what you need to know for the tes, and manage the stress and frustration that comes with test taking. When checking out courses, make sure that they have distance learning options. This way you have freedom and mobility to prepare while you are still working.

Why should you get your license? That’s up to you. It’ll put you above your unlicensed counterparts and allow you to work on a greater variety of projects. A license means that you are complying with the law and that your service is guaranteed to be high caliber. The license doesn’t have to be a scary thing looming over your head. It just means that you have evidence of the hard work that you have done over the years.

Gain More Experience

Just because you passed your exam doesn’t mean that you are ready to fully step out into the world of contracting. You should gain experience in order to prepare for any type of situation. This could mean doing small jobs at home, watching contractors that you hire and asking them plenty of questions, or starting an apprenticeship.

You’ll want to learn from or with other people before embarking on jobs yourself. There are always going to be more experienced people than yourself in the field. This is a good thing. It means that you can always learn something new.

Advertising Yourself

You’ve done it. You got your license and completed your apprenticeship. Now you’re ready to go out into the contracting world by yourself. But, how do you go independent all of a sudden? Well, this is where you have to start advertising yourself. If you were in the apprenticeship before, you should probably have a base of connections already.

But if not, don’t fear. Making connections is easier than ever thanks to the internet. Creating a LinkedIn profile that highlights all your accomplishments, training, and licenses will bring in the clients. You will create lifelong connections through this and build your client base.

Also, if there are Facebook groups for contractors in your area, these are good to be a part of. People just want to help each other out, and being part of a community gives you access to people who may be in need of your services.

Conclusion

Gaining that license and being able to take on larger jobs is an important step in gaining financial independence and fulfilling your dreams. Remember, practice makes perfect. This is especially true for taking on contracting jobs where clients trust you with their homes. That’s why having a license is essential. Good luck out there, you’ll do great!