General Contractor

A General Contractor coordinates and executes the construction.  The general contractor enters into agreements with subcontractor trades for a part of the project.  The general contractor coordinates all trades and inspections.  The general contractor collaborates with the Owner vendors and assists with installation needs.  The general contractor is responsible for all infection control, impact notices and close contact with the facilities staff on operational issues.  Walter Grace is a licensed General Contractor.  We are a consulting firm who also builds when that suits the needs of the client.  Whether the local talent is not available or we are stepping in as a replacement to finish the job, we will be your builder too.

Design-Build is a contract delivery model in which the designer and contractor work together from the beginning, as a team, providing unified project recommendations to fit the Owner’s schedule and budget. Any changes are addressed by the entire team, leading to collaborative problem-solving and innovation, not excuses or blame-shifting.  You tell the team what you want, and the team gives a price for the entire project.  The team provides the budget, schedule, design and build.  Owner changes may add to contract amount.  They design it and they build it to the Owners specifications.  Contractor carries the construction cost risk.

Cost + Fee is a contract delivery model with the contractor and designer separate.  The Owner pays actual cost for Subcontractors, GC staff and project requirements PLUS a fee typically between 3% to 10% to cover profit and overhead.  This delivery model is helpful when the scope and cost are still developing and ensures the Owner does not pay an unknown markup like a lump sum.  The Owner carries the construction cost risk.  This method is paperwork heavy with greater administration cost.This method works particularly well with clean-up work.  If a project has been paused and is in an unknown state or the GC is being replaced, cost + fee works well for a fair result.  The new GC can step in and manage the good subs and replace the bad ones (hopefully with local contractors).