A general contractor hires and organizes all necessary workers for a construction job. He or she also provides materials, obtains necessary permits, schedule inspections, complies with all building codes and sees the project through to completion. General contractors get hired by estimating how much a project will cost to build overall and offering that estimate in the form of a bid to the persons or company who are paying for the project. General contractors who work on very large scale projects, such as high-rise buildings or civil projects, typically work as managers rather than direct laborers. Those involved in smaller, residential buildings or remodels may also provide many hours of hands-on labor.