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A general contractor runs the whole job: scheduling the trades, pulling permits, ordering materials and owning the timeline. This category covers residential general contractors, remodeling contractors and the whole-home projects they manage, from basement finishes to second-story additions.
Because a GC marks up everything that passes through the job, the spread between bids on the same addition can reach tens of thousands of dollars. The classic advice holds: check the license, check insurance, call references, and never let a single bid set your expectation of what the project costs.
Describe the project and the rough budget you have in mind. Up to four licensed general contractors respond with bids, and every quote lands in your My Home record so the paper trail keeps itself.
What does it cost?
A finished basement or major kitchen sits toward the low end. Room additions commonly run $50,000 and up, and second-story additions can double that. GC pricing includes coordination overhead, typically 10 to 20 percent.
Ballparks based on commonly published national averages, stated as assumptions, not measured local pricing. Your competing quotes set the real number for your home and ZIP.
Popular General Contractors and Additions services
The services and searches homeowners bring to this category most, straight from our demand data.
Plan your remodel or addition
Deep-dive guides for hiring and running big projects, built from the same demand data as this page.
Hiring a General Contractor
Finding, comparing bids and signing well.
Read the guideQuestions to Ask
The interview script that separates the pros.
Read the guideGeneral Contractor Costs
Markup, fees and how jobs actually get priced.
Read the guideHome Additions
Room additions and second stories, from setbacks to budgets.
Read the guideWhole Home Remodeling
Scope, phasing and honest budget bands.
Read the guideLicense and Insurance
Verify credentials yourself in about ten minutes.
Read the guideTop providers near you
A preview of how vetted providers will appear. These are placeholder cards, not real businesses.
Keystone Residential Builders
Bluepine General Contracting
Harbor and Main Construction
Sample data ... provider roster integration pending (state licensing boards). Rendered from data/providers.json.
How zipBuilder works for general contractors and additions
Tell us the project
Enter your ZIP and describe the job in plain language. Size does not matter, detail does.
Local pros compete
Your brief goes to licensed pros who actually work your ZIP code. Up to four respond with quotes and availability.
You pick with confidence
Compare the responses side by side, check reviews, and share your contact details only with the pros you choose.
General Contractors and Additions questions, answered straight
When do I need a general contractor instead of a single trade?
When the project touches three or more trades or needs structural work, permits across disciplines, or weeks of scheduling. One plumber can replace a water heater. An addition needs someone running the whole board.
How much does a home addition cost?
Published averages put most additions between $50,000 and $150,000 depending on size, foundation and finish level. Per-square-foot estimates of $200 to $500 are common. Local bids are the only numbers that count.
How do I verify a general contractor's license?
Every state that licenses GCs has a public lookup through its licensing board. Match the exact business name on the bid, confirm the license is active, and ask for a certificate of insurance sent directly from the insurer.
What should a good GC bid include?
A written scope, allowances for materials, a payment schedule tied to milestones, a change-order process and a timeline. A one-line price on a big project is not a bid, it is a guess.
How should payments be structured?
A modest deposit, then progress payments tied to completed milestones, with final payment held until the punch list is done. Be wary of any contractor who wants a large share up front.
Get General Contractors and Additions quotes in your ZIP
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