Resume template · Updated October 2026
General contractor resume template
Short answer
Catalyst suits a general contractor: it opens on your current business or role with no summary, so projects, budgets and crews come first, with a projects section for a showcase build. The fictional sample owns a residential remodelling company, runs about 20 projects a year and manages subcontractors and schedules. Put your licence and project type in the headline.
Download the general contractor sample
Tom is a fictional licensed general contractor. Replace every detail with your own before you send it.
The files are made in your browser by Resumity's own exporters, from this sample. The builder opens it as your own resume: click any line to replace it. Free plan, no watermark.
Why Catalyst suits a general contractor resume
Catalyst prints no summary and opens on Work Experience under teal headings, below a large name and headline. Builders and owners judge a contractor on recent projects, budgets and schedules, so leading with the current work and a showcase project matches how they read.
Second choice: Olivia. Olivia keeps a summary and a bold header, a fit for contractors applying for in-house construction manager roles.
What goes in each section, in Catalyst's order
Catalyst prints its sections in a fixed order, the same in the PDF and the Word file. Here is that order for this sample, and what to put in each section.
- Work Experience. Lead with your business or employer, project types and annual volume. Then budgets, schedules, subcontractors, permits, safety and client results.
- Skills. Estimating, scheduling, subcontractor management, permitting, codes and software.
- Projects. One showcase project with scope, budget, timeline and result.
- Education. Degree, trade school or apprenticeship with the year.
- Certifications. Contractor licence and safety certifications with the issuer and year.
The sample resume as text
The same content as the files above, so you can copy a line or compare it with your own.
Tom Brennan
Licensed General Contractor, Residential Remodels
Sacramento, CA | tom.brennan@example.com | (916) 555-0193 | sample-tom-brennan.example.com/projects
Experience
Owner and General Contractor, Brennan Home Builders, Sacramento, CA (03/2016 to Present)
- Run a remodelling company completing about 20 kitchen, bath and whole-home projects a year, about $2.5 million in annual contracts.
- Delivered about 90% of projects within the agreed budget, including approved change orders.
- Manage a crew of five and about 15 regular subcontractors across eight trades.
- Pull permits and pass inspections, with most projects passing each inspection on the first visit.
- About half of new projects come from repeat clients and referrals.
Project Superintendent, Capitol Valley Construction, Sacramento, CA (06/2009 to 02/2016)
- Supervised residential and light commercial builds.
- Scheduled trades and ran daily site meetings.
- Tracked costs against budgets for the project manager.
Projects
Whole-home remodel, 1950s ranch house: Full interior remodel with a new kitchen, two baths and an added bedroom, completed in five months.
- Finished two weeks early and within budget
- Featured in a local home tour
Education
Certificate, Construction Technology, American River College (05/2009)
Certifications
- Class B General Building Contractor licence, California Contractors State License Board (2016)
- OSHA 30-Hour Construction, OSHA Outreach Training Program (2015)
Skills
Estimating, Scheduling, Subcontractor management, Permitting, Job costing, Buildertrend, QuickBooks, SketchUp, Client communication
How to make the sample yours
Put the licence in the headline
For example 'Licensed General Contractor, Residential Remodels'. Catalyst has no summary, so the headline sets your credentials.
Show volume
Projects per year and annual revenue or contract value. Volume shows you can run a business or a portfolio.
Show budget and schedule
Share of projects on budget and on time, and how you handle changes.
Describe your crews
Employees and subcontractors you manage and the trades involved.
Show client results
Reviews, repeat clients and referrals.
Keywords to keep where they are true
Terms this kind of resume is usually searched for. Use the posting's exact wording, and only for work you have done.
- general contractor
- residential remodeling
- construction management
- estimating
- scheduling
- subcontractor management
- permits
- building codes
- change orders
- job costing
- OSHA 30
- client relations
Mistakes to avoid
- Client names or addresses.
- Licence claims you cannot show.
- No project or budget numbers.
- Long lists of every tool you own.
How the sample PDF reads in text extractors
We exported this sample with Resumity's PDF exporter in Chrome on 2026-10-29 and read the file back with three open-source text extractors. This shows whether software that turns a PDF into text can recover it; it is not a test of any commercial applicant tracking system. How we test templates.
| Extractor | Name, email, phone | Headings | Bullets intact |
|---|---|---|---|
| pdf.js 4.10.38 | All found | 5 of 5 | 10 of 10 |
| pdftotext (Xpdf) 4.00 | All found | 5 of 5 | 10 of 10 |
| pypdf 6.13.0 | All found | 5 of 5 | 10 of 10 |
Frequently asked questions
What should a general contractor resume focus on?
Projects, volume, budget and schedule results, crews and subcontractors, permits and client results. Hiring managers and clients want proof that you finish good work on time and on budget.
How do I list my own contracting business?
List it as a job with you as owner, then give projects per year, contract value and the services you offer. A projects section can show your best build in more detail.
How do I move from contractor to a construction company job?
Show project management results, scheduling and subcontractor work, and the size of projects you handle. Construction managers value business owners who understand costs.
Should I include a portfolio?
Yes. A link to photos of finished projects helps, with client permission. Keep addresses private.
Does Catalyst work without a summary?
Yes. The headline carries your licence and focus. If you prefer a summary, Olivia prints one.
How long should the resume be?
One to two pages. Keep volume and budget results on the first page.
Will applicant tracking systems read this Catalyst PDF?
The sample PDF read back with its contact details, all 5 section headings and all 10 bullets intact in three open-source text extractors (pdf.js, pdftotext and pypdf). Commercial systems such as Workday, Greenhouse or Taleo were not tested, and each employer configures its own.
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