Tools of the Trade – Tools for General Contractors

While there are many specialized trades requiring specialized tools, just as often common tools will be needed for general purposes. While a general contractor will subcontract out specialized jobs, he will still occasionally be called upon to do some of the work himself or to double check and touch up a job. This means if you work as a general contractor, having a good assortment of basic tools is a good idea if you need to complete part of the larger job yourself. Here’s some suggestions for tools to keep on hand to keep your job on track while saving time and money.

Every contractor who’s worth anything has a good tool belt, and ideally it’s stocked with the right tools. Every tool belt should have a good assortment of tool pouches and a hammer loop. The belt should be versatile and strong enough to carry your standard claw hammer, pliers, tape, some cutters and maybe a cordless drill. Your belt should also have a good, sharp utility knife. Klein, Ideal and Knipex would all be a good choice for utility knife. All of these tools are great to have on hand should you need to hammer something, cut or adjust something. A well-stocked tool belt is essential for any general contractor who wants to make the best of their time and money.

There are a few other tools a general contractor should invest in. Good, cordless power tools will always be worth owning. Drills, nail guns, staple guns and small power saws will help you get a job done even far away from a power source, whether that be up on a ladder or scaffold high off the ground or tucked away in a crawl space. Portable lighting would also be good in these instances too whether that be a helmet lamp, standard flashlights or even portable shop lighting. Should you find it necessary though, having a good extension cord like one of the neon colored Primewire 100ft extension cords on hand is also a good idea. Prior planning prevents poor performance after all.

A last few bits and bobs to consider stocking in the tool truck have obvious uses, but may not be so obvious at first. A good laser level with a plumb line, like the Klein 93LCLS, is great to have on hand for a lot of reasons. They’re excellent to use whether you just need to do a quick check or you’re planning out and installing something like a shelf. It would also help to have a stable workspace like a saw horse to either hold your level or just as a temporary workspace to cut or fasten something. Lastly, hammers for demolition, demolition bars or crowbars will help you tear down walls, barriers or anything else needing removal prior to rebuilding. They’re also quite handy in the event of a resonance cascade…

Last but not least, safety and clean up are also important things to consider as well. Drop cloths and tarps will help you gather up any and all debris while also protecting from paint and other splashes. As far as safety goes, hard hats, breath masks, safety glasses, kneepads, hearing protectors and gloves will protect you from the worst of any negative environmental conditions.

Here at Haus of Tools we carry not only a lot of specialized tools for a lot of jobs, but we carry a lot of tools that can be used and applied for general purposes. Working as a general contractor you’ll want to keep a lot of stuff on hand so you can keep the job moving along. Be sure to keep checking back and signup for our newsletter to stay up to date!