When you set out to hire a contractor, you have a lot to consider. The term "qualified" is a fairly loose term, as it can be anywhere from someone who has a degree and numerous years of experience plus licensing all the way to down to someone who has simply got a lot of construction experience and a high level of organization. When you look for someone, you need to know which of these levels you need, as costs can become a factor very quickly. In some cases, being your own general contractor may be the only viable option. However, look for the following when you hire out this task.

An Eye for Detail

The first role of a general contractor is that of a manager. If there's one trait any kind of manager needs, it's to be detail oriented. The more details your general contractor is able to notice at an early stage, the more problems he will be able to stop from becoming serious. A person who's got a serious eye for detail will see the first crack in something years before it would catastrophically break. A detail oriented general contractor will also work to make sure you're not blowing money unnecessarily on extra workers or materials.

A Solid Work Ethic

A hard worker tends to inspire other people to work hard for them. A lazy person doesn't tend to inspire anything out of anybody. The more of a hard worker your general contractor is, the more work they'll get for every dollar you spend. As well, a hard working general contractor will be at the site early and stay late making sure things go well.

Charisma

Does this person believe what he's saying? While any good con artist can make claims with absolute conviction, a good general contractor is a confident person who confirms facts that you can easily check out and lets you know about legitimate problems that may come up at a later time. He also doesn't sweat the small stuff, allowing contractors their unique and harmless quirks.

Official Credentials

Sometimes you need to hire someone with a lot of credentials, and other times such things are simply good to have. The more credentials your general contractor has, the more areas of expertise he can legitimately claim, which both increases how many areas he can oversee with authority and how much he will be likely to charge you.