What a General Contractor Does
A general contractor is the person or company responsible for turning architectural plans into a finished building. The GC does not do every trade themselves. They hire, coordinate, and manage the specialists who do.
That means hiring framers, plumbers, electricians, roofers, concrete crews, HVAC installers, drywall crews, painters, and a dozen other trades. Someone needs to schedule them so the plumber shows up after the framing is done but before the drywall goes up. Someone needs to pull permits, book inspections, order materials, manage the budget, and solve the problems that come up between groundbreak and handover.
That is the general contractor.
What We Handle as Your GC
- Trades coordination. We manage every subtrade the project requires. We have been working with many of the same crews since 2005. In a small market, those relationships are not replaceable.
- Scheduling. Every trade depends on the one before it. If concrete is late, framing pushes. If framing pushes past October, you have an open building heading into winter. We manage the schedule daily, not weekly.
- Permitting and inspections. We handle building permit applications through the City of Revelstoke and schedule all required inspections. Inspectors who know your builder's track record do not hold up your project.
- Materials procurement. Supply chains to a mountain town have lead times that Lower Mainland builders do not deal with. Specialty items, engineered products, and high-performance windows need to be ordered months ahead and coordinated with the build schedule.
- Site management. Daily oversight of safety compliance, quality control, and problem solving. When something does not match the plans, we coordinate with the architect and engineer and keep the project moving.
- Budget management. Real-time cost tracking through JobTread. You see where every dollar goes. If scope changes, you know about it before we proceed.
Licensing and Protection
In BC, anyone building a new home or performing major renovations must be licensed with BC Housing's Licensing and Consumer Services. This is provincial law. Before you hire any general contractor, ask for these three things. If they cannot produce all three, walk away.
BC housing Builder. We are registered with the province as a residential builder, meeting requirements for insurance, experience, and financial standing.
2-5-10 Year Home Warranty. Every new home we build carries the mandatory 2-5-10 coverage: 2 years on materials and labour, 5 years on the building envelope, 10 years on structural defects. This is third-party insurance that protects you regardless of what happens to the builder. The 2-5-10 warranty is issued through an approved provider under the BC housing (providers include Pacific, National, Travelers, and others).
WorkSafeBC Coverage. All job sites are fully covered. Every trade working on your project is insured. This protects you from liability if someone is injured during construction.
Why a Local GC Matters in Revelstoke
A general contractor from the Lower Mainland can technically work here. Same licence. Same building code. But knowing the code and knowing how to build in this specific environment are different things.
Revelstoke has high snow loads, deep frost lines, and a build window that runs roughly April to October for exterior work. A contractor who has spent their career in the valley brings assumptions about frost depth, scheduling, and material performance that a builder from the Lower Mainland has to learn on your project.
We have been general contracting in Revelstoke since 2005. Most of our key subtrades have been with us for over a decade. In a market where the trades pool is limited, those relationships directly affect your project timeline and quality.
Do You Need a GC or the Integrated Design Process?
Hire us as your GC if:
- You have completed architectural plans and engineering
- Your plans are stamped, permitted, or nearly there
- You have a specific architect you want to keep working with
- You have built before and know the process
Consider our integrated design process if:
- You are starting from a blank page with no plans yet
- Your site is complicated (steep, remote, unusual soil)
- You are building from out of town
- You want confirmed cost and engineering feasibility before committing to drawings
We do both. Our integrated design-build process is available at /services/design-build.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a general contractor and a design-build firm?
A general contractor builds from your finished plans. An integrated design-build firm handles both design and construction under one contract. We do both. If you have architectural drawings, we work as your GC. If you are starting from scratch, our integrated process handles design and construction together.
How do I verify a contractor is properly licensed in BC?
Ask for their licence number, proof of 2-5-10 year home warranty enrolment through an approved provider, and WorkSafeBC coverage. If they cannot produce all three, walk away.
How long does a typical build take in Revelstoke?
A custom home typically runs 9 to 12 months of construction, on top of 6 to 9 months of design and 6 to 8 weeks for the building permit. Exterior work is planned into the April-to-October window, so timing your start matters. Winter work is possible but not the preferred window and can add cost.
Can you build from plans prepared by my architect?
Yes. That is exactly what general contracting is. You bring us stamped drawings and engineering, we review the plans, walk the site, and give you a detailed estimate based on Revelstoke-specific costs and conditions.
What project management tools do you use?
Every project runs through JobTread. You get real-time access to your schedule, budget, documents, and communication logs.
Do you handle permits?
Yes. Building permits through the City of Revelstoke and coordination of electrical and gas permits through Technical Safety BC.
Client Testimonials
"Throughout my tenure as Senior Building Inspector, Straight Up Construction has completed a substantial portfolio. Their projects have ranged from small staircases, to large scale commercial buildings from start to finish."
— Senior Building Inspector, City of Revelstoke
"I have been a Building Official in Revelstoke since 2010. They continue to demonstrate a high level of competence and understanding in major aspects of the Building Code including permitting process and inspection requirements. I recommend Straight Up Construction as a competent new home builder."
— Building Official, City of Revelstoke
"The process was very professional and on budget. The house took 11 months to build. He hired the best tradesman, everyone worked well together."
— Custom Home Client, Revelstoke Build
