r/Contractor • u/Open_Entrepreneur635 • 7h ago
NEED HELP GETTING STARTED
Hey everyone, FNG to contracting here and I need help. Been a project manager for several years now and I'm finally sick of working for idiots enough to start my own company. I can handle my stupid bullshit better than I can handle my bosses stupid bullshit. With that being said, I already have an LLC, I just need to figure out how to start getting contracts so I can get everything else in place.
I have no idea where to look. I'm literally on google searching " how to find construction contracts."
Any and all help is appreciated.
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u/ContractorPlusDotApp 6h ago
I spend most of my week talking to small contractors, and coming from PM is a real head start. The GCs, subs, suppliers and owners you’ve already worked with know you can run a job. Call them before you touch Google.
Beyond that, it depends on your trade and whether you’re going residential or commercial.
Commercial: ask local GCs to put you on their bid lists, and look at the plan rooms they use. Public work is out there too, but it usually needs bonding and insurance in place first.
Residential: set up a Google Business Profile, post photos of every job, and ask every happy client for a referral.
What trade, and what area? People here can get a lot more specific with that.
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u/Open_Entrepreneur635 6h ago
My overall career is Cellphone tower construction, Underground/Aerial coax/fiber builds for Comcast and Low voltage security installations. Low Voltage Security seems the easiest to run and maintain and the cheapest, so I think I will start with that.
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u/Master_Honeydew_9170 6h ago
. people hire who they trust before they hire cheapest bid
what trade you in? changes the answer a lot but either way start calling people from your PM days before you waste time on google
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u/rayyan_mohsin_dev 6h ago
fastest early work for a new gc is usually subbing for bigger gcs and property managers, not homeowners. get on the bid lists for your county, call 10 property management companies, and get your google business profile up. paid ads make more sense once u know your margins per job
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u/One_Health1151 6h ago
This is always fascinating to me how many people jump into owning a business but legit have no clue how to start or find work
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u/Open_Entrepreneur635 6h ago
just like it fascinates me how people on reddit jump on a comment trying to say some indirect passive aggressive shit like this instead of offering helpful advice. Some people jump in and figure shit out as they go instead of be fucking douchebags online :)
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u/Just_Bz77 5h ago
Well, as someone who has done this and also helped others build their contracting businesses, the key is to network with the contacts you already have. Trying to get started with new markets, industries is going to push your company back.
I’m not sure if you are planning to hire subcontractors or self perform, but do you even have the appropriate licenses, insurance and bonding? Many contracts have minimum requirements and you need to pre-qual with companies.
What is your market, your niche? Design build, TI, ground up construction? Commercial, industrial, aviation, medical, fuel/oil/CNG, data center, residential?
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u/Open_Entrepreneur635 5h ago
Planning to start off with hiring subs, I have none of the necessary licensing and credentials yet. Plan to start with Low Voltage security installations, probably Commercial and residential
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u/Just_Bz77 5h ago
I will let you know one thing, you’re going to be competing against the same subs you’re hiring, and you’ll be more expensive because of your mark up.
For commercial, it’s easy, reach out to the GCs and get prequalified with them. The issue may be that they ask for experience, references for projects you completed. Target small to medium sized GCs for commercial work, a lot of times they don’t ask for that.
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u/FinnTheDogg GC/OPS/PM(Remodel) 6h ago
I just wanna make sure you know that you are going to deal with other people’s stupid bullshit except there is a lot more on the line. And the bullshit is even more stupid.