General Contractor

The general contractor, or GC, is the company that actually runs your build-out. They hire and manage the subcontractors (framers, electricians, plumbers, and so on), keep the schedule, pull permits, coordinate inspections, and are responsible for delivering the finished space. You can hire your own GC, or in some deals the landlord uses theirs.

For a healthcare build-out, experience matters a lot. A GC who has built operatories, sterilization, and specialty MEP before will move faster and make fewer costly mistakes than one who mostly does standard offices or retail.

Your general contractor has more influence over your build-out cost and timeline than almost anyone else in the deal. For a practice, pick one with real healthcare experience, and watch out for a landlord requiring you to use their GC, since that can limit your control over price and schedule. Vet the GC as carefully as you vet the space.

A dentist chooses a GC who has built a dozen dental offices rather than a cheaper generalist. The specialist anticipates the operatory plumbing and inspection quirks, and the project finishes on time, while the lower bid would likely have run into change orders and delays.