Best General Contractor in Houston, Texas — 2026 Top-Rated Pros
Browse 5 verified general contractor providers in Houston. Reviews, hours, and direct contact — free to use.
In Houston, Texas: General contracting is project management, not trade work. The GC''s job is to plan the sequence, hire and coordinate the trades, pull permits, deal with city inspections, and absorb the schedule risk. The 13 U.S. cities with active GCs on Recommended.app cover the full residential project menu: kitchen and bath remodels, full additions, basement finishes, second-story builds, ADUs (accessory dwelling units), and gut renovations. Pricing is per-project and ranges widely: kitchen remodels run $25,000 to $75,000+ depending on cabinet choices, bathroom remodels $12,000 to $45,000, basement finishes $35,000 to $85,000, additions $200 to $500 per square foot. Contract structure matters more than total dollars — fixed-price contracts shift the risk to the GC (your number is your number), cost-plus contracts shift the risk to you (you pay actual costs plus 10–20% GC fee). Time-and-materials contracts almost never end well for homeowners on projects this size. The biggest single risk is the lien waiver: every subcontractor and supplier the GC pays needs to sign a lien waiver after payment, or they can put a lien on your house if the GC stiffs them. Many states have a 60–90 day lien window after work completes. Insist on lien waivers with every progress payment.
Top General Contractor in Houston (5)
What to Look For
Verify current state contractor license, $1M+ general liability, and workers' comp insurance covering every employee and 1099 sub on-site. Demand a fixed-price written contract with a detailed scope, payment schedule tied to milestones (never more than 30% deposit), and a lien waiver requirement on every progress payment. Check three recent references from projects of similar size and call them. Walk the GC's most recent completed project in person if possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a general contractor charge?
On a fixed-price contract, the GC fee is built into the total (typically 15–25% of project cost). On a cost-plus contract, the GC fee is 10–20% on top of actual costs. For a $75,000 kitchen remodel, expect the GC fee to be $11,000–$19,000 of that total — that''s the cost of project management, scheduling, permit handling, and quality control.
Should I use a general contractor or hire trades directly?
Hire a GC for any project crossing more than 2 trades or requiring permits beyond simple electrical. Self-managing as homeowner-GC saves the 15–25% fee but you absorb all coordination, permit, and warranty risk — and you''re on the hook for delays from one trade affecting another. Most homeowners underestimate the time commitment by 5–10x.
What''s a lien waiver and why does it matter?
A lien waiver is a signed document from each subcontractor and supplier confirming they''ve been paid for their portion of the work. Without lien waivers, an unpaid sub can put a mechanic''s lien on your house even though you paid the GC in full. Require conditional lien waivers with each progress payment and final lien waivers at project close.
How long should a kitchen remodel take?
8–14 weeks for a standard remodel from contract signing to final cleanup. Custom cabinets alone are usually a 10–14 week lead time. Add 2–4 weeks for permits in most cities. Any GC promising a kitchen remodel in under 6 weeks is either lying or skipping permits.
Do I need a permit for my project?
Almost always for any structural change, new plumbing or electrical, additions, ADUs, or anything over $5,000 in most jurisdictions. Cosmetic-only work (paint, flooring, fixture swaps in existing locations) usually doesn''t. Skipping permits affects resale and homeowners'' insurance — buyers'' inspectors find unpermitted work, and your policy may not cover damage from unpermitted electrical.
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Houston is a smaller market for general contractor on Recommended.app — we currently list 5 verified providers. This page won't appear in Google search results until our local inventory grows.