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	Building codes vary from location to location. Building codes and standards are the primary means by which building construction is regulated in the United States for the health and safety of the general public.

A general contractor is directly involved in the business of constructing, altering, repairing or improving real estate for others. Construction usually is done or coordinated by general contractors who specialize in one type of construction such as residential or commercial building. They take full responsibility for the complete job, except for specified portions of the work that may be omitted from the general contract. Although general contractors may do a portion of the work with their own crews, they often subcontract most of the work to heavy construction or specialty trade contractors.

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When a general contractor (employer) hires a subcontractor (employee), the general contractor (employer) has all the responsibility for that project. However, if the general contractor (employer) hires an independent subcontractor (non-employee), they are both responsible for the completion of the project.

In the United States in 2002 there were about 237,000 general contractor companies. The Associated General Contractors (AGC) is the nation's largest and oldest construction trade association, established in 1918 after a request by President Woodrow Wilson. Membership in AGC consists of more than 33,000 firms through a nationwide network of chapters.

General contractors may have any of the following working for them at one time or another:

• Electrical Contractors
• Plumbing Contractors
• Painting Contractors
• Roofing Contractors
• Remodeling Contractors
• Landscaping Contractors

General contractors, depending on what state they are in, may be required to be licensed by that state to perform their work. Holding a license in one state usually doesn’t grant the right to do construction work in another state. Most states require license applicants to take a written examination on construction law, business organization and the skills of their occupation.

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Maryland Audio & Video         Engineers Investigate Levees Failure Audio, RM, 48 Kbps, 4:07:00 AM, 10/7/2005 Reporter Greg Allen reports on the Army Corps of Engineers has nearly completed pumping the hurricane floodwaters out of New Orleans and finished temporary repairs to the city's levees. The corps and other investigators will now try to find out why the levees failed. Source: National Public Radio

Maryland External Sites         Status of State Codes Building Energy Codes Program. Search energycodes.gov ... Maryland Codes Administration 100 Community Place Crownsville, MD 21032 PH: (410) 514-7216