Construction Company in Columbia, MO

Same buyer, different names: construction company, general contractor or remodeler

Is a general contractor the same as a construction company, a remodeling contractor, a design-build firm or a residential builder? We found no source that defines these names for Columbia, so ask each company what it calls itself and what it did last year that looks like your job.

• Does the company take homeowner jobs, or mostly commercial buildings?
• Does it remodel existing houses, build new homes, or both?
• Can it show a job list with kitchens, baths, additions or whatever matches your project?

When you search for construction companies near me, read each company's job list, not its name. Ask what each residential construction company includes under residential construction services, and call the company whose job list matches yours.

Why hire a general contractor? When a homeowner needs one

A remodel, addition or repair that involves several trades, permits and inspections raises one question: who sequences the trades and books the inspections? Either you do, or the company you hire does. Ask each company to say in writing which of those tasks it takes on.

General contractor or each trade on your own

If you hire trades one by one, ask yourself who writes each scope, who checks each trade's paperwork and who decides who is at fault if one trade's work fails over another's. In Columbia, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas work must be done by trade contractors licensed by the City of Columbia for that trade, or as the ordinance allows. Ask any company: who hires and checks each trade, and which licences do they hold?

General contractor or handyman

Is your job a small repair or a project with several trades? Ask the city or the company whether your job needs a permit, and ask whether the company takes small jobs. If you are not sure, describe the job in the form and ask the company that calls back.

General contractor or design-build firm

With a general contractor and a separate designer or architect, ask whether you would get drawings first that several companies could bid on. With a design-build contractor, the design and construction come from one company. Questions to ask either way:

• Does the company design in-house, or work from your designer's plans?
• Is the design fee a separate line, and is it credited if you sign?
• If the layout is not settled, who finalizes it before the price is fixed?
• If you already have detailed plans, will the company bid on them as drawn?

Columbia exempts one- and two-family dwellings from the requirement that construction documents be sealed by a registered design professional. The permit application still needs two sets of drawings to scale.

Jobs a general contractor manages

Ask what each quote covers before you compare prices. The jobs below are the ones this site covers.

Basement finishing, garage conversion and ADU work are covered below as add-on jobs. This page stays on the hire itself: who to hire, what it costs, what to sign and what to check.

How hiring a general contractor works, step by step

1. First call and walk-through. Ask for a visit to the house, and give the company your budget number.
2. Scope and design. Ask for the scope in writing: what is included, who buys materials and who handles cleanup.
3. Written estimate and contract. Ask for a written estimate with line items, and compare it only with estimates for the same scope.
4. Permits. In Columbia the general contractor can be issued the permits (see the permit section). Ask who applies and who pays the fees.
5. Schedule and orders. Ask when the company expects to apply for the permit and whether cabinets, windows or countertops are made to order.
6. Build. Ask for the order of work and when inspections are expected.
7. Final walk-through and punch list. Ask for a written list of anything unfinished, and agree that the last payment waits until the list is done.

What does a general contractor cost? Fee or markup, fixed price or cost-plus

Fees and markup: fixed price vs cost-plus

The cost to hire a general contractor depends on how the company charges. The contract should say which method applies. Ask whether the price is fixed or cost-plus, what the total is capped at, and whether you get receipts for materials. If the price is cost-plus, ask for a not-to-exceed number.

Bob Vila reports a fee or markup of 10 to 20 percent of the total construction cost (updated 2022-09-12). One Phoenix company states the same range on its own site (read 2026-10-27); that is one company's statement, not a market survey. Bob Vila's home-addition guide prints 10 to 30 percent or about $150 an hour for the contractor and puts labor at 30 to 50 percent of the total (page dated 2024-05-21). The ranges differ, so a real bid has to show how the fee is built.

What does hiring a general contractor cost in plain terms? On a $40,000 project, a 10 to 20 percent fee is $4,000 to $8,000. That is arithmetic on the commonly quoted range, not a Columbia price. Ask each company what the fee covers.

Remodeling cost: national project ranges by job type

How much does home remodeling cost? It starts with which room, and how much it costs to remodel a home is a sum of rooms. National project ranges by job type come from Bob Vila's cost guides. They are not adjusted for Columbia and they are not quotes.

We have no sourced price yet for a whole-house remodel or a basement, so none is listed. Ask each company for a line-item estimate. The home additions page covers what to plan for on that job.

Census data (ACS 2024) puts the median owner-occupied home value at $311,700 in the city of Columbia and $307,000 in Boone County. The medians are context only, not a remodel price. Compare more than one bid.

What moves the price of a remodel

Ask what in your plan could change the price:

• Scope and size. How many rooms, how many square feet, how many trades.
• Finishes. Bob Vila's kitchen guide shows quartz at roughly $15 to $70 per square foot and laminate at $8 to $35. Ask which grade of cabinet, countertop and tile the quote assumes.
• Structural change. Ask whether your plan removes a wall or moves a beam, and what engineering it needs.
• Moving plumbing or walls. Ask what it adds to move a sink or shower.
• Age of the home. Ask what the company allows for old wiring, plumbing or framing that was not in the plan.
• Special orders. Ask which items are special orders and what a delay would cost if you live without a kitchen.

Deposit and payment schedule: normal deposit range, milestone payments, red flag deposits

Normal deposit range. The Missouri Attorney General page we read sets no deposit amount. One Atlanta firm states that deposits of 10 to 25 percent are typical and cautions above 33 percent (company statement, read 2026-10-27). That is Georgia and one company's view, not a market survey; use it only to judge a request.

Milestone payments. Ask for a payment schedule tied to finished work, and ask what each payment is for and what must be done before it is due.

Red flag deposits. Ask any company that wants full payment up front, a cash payment, or a deposit above that Atlanta firm's 33 percent line to say what the money buys. The state's advice on prepaying and cash is in the bids section below.

Licensing and registration: do I need a licensed general contractor in Missouri?

Whether the state licenses general contractors

Whether the state licenses general contractors is the first thing to check. Procore, a third-party trade guide updated June 18, 2024, states Missouri has no state general contractor licence. Its guide adds that most businesses register with the Secretary of State instead. We have not confirmed either point on a state agency page.

City and county licences

City and county licences are where the local rules sit. Columbia's building code chapter (Chapter 6) contains no general contractor license that we could find, and no homeowner-permit rule either. The city's Finance division processes annual business licenses, and the Procore guide says Columbia requires every business to hold one. The Finance page we read did not list contractor rules, so confirm with the city. We did not read a Boone County contractor rule; ask the county office that covers your address.

Trade licences for electrical, plumbing and HVAC

Trade licences for electrical, plumbing and HVAC work come from the city, so it does not follow that anyone can do any job.

• Plumbing. No one may engage in the plumbing business in Columbia unless licensed as a master plumber, and the work must be under the supervision of a licensed master or journeyman plumber. Contracting plumbers file a surety bond of at least $10,000.
• Electrical. The city issues contractor, journeyman and apprentice electrical certificates. Holders of certain contractor certificates must file liability insurance of at least $100,000 per claim for bodily injury, $100,000 for property damage and $300,000 in aggregate.
• HVAC. Heating and cooling work falls under mechanical licenses; the city issues its own mechanical journeyman and master licenses.

How to verify a licence

The city's Building and Site Development division describes itself as the one stop for plans review, permits, inspections and the licensing of contractors and trades. To verify a trade license, ask that office. For the general contractor, check the business registration and its city business license. If a company says it is licensed, ask for the number and the office that issued it, then check with that office.

Insurance and what to ask for

Ask the company these questions, and ask for a certificate of insurance:

• What liability insurance does the company carry?
• Does it carry workers' compensation?
• What coverage do its subcontractors have?

The Procore guide reports that Columbia requires construction businesses with employees to show workers' compensation; confirm that with the city. Plumbing contractors have a bond minimum and certain electrical contractors have insurance minimums under city code (see above).

Subcontractors, project manager and how updates are given

Construction management on a home job comes down to who answers your calls. Ask who your day-to-day contact is, which work is done by the company's employees and which by subcontractors, and how updates are given: a weekly message, a shared schedule or a call. Agree on that up front.

Permits and inspections: do general contractors handle permits?

When a permit is needed, who pulls it and how long it takes

When a permit is needed is the city's call. We found no Columbia list of exempt jobs, so ask the company to confirm in writing, especially before a structural, wiring or plumbing change.

Who pulls it: in Columbia the general contractor can. The city amends the residential code so that building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas permits for alterations and additions to one- and two-family homes may be issued to the general contractor on behalf of the master electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors. That is the practical meaning of permit assistance here: one company can apply for the permits. The trade work under those permits still has to be done by city-licensed trades.

How long it takes: we found no published review time for a residential permit, so we state none. Ask the company how long its last few permits took.

What Columbia charges

• Building permit fee: $2.25 per $1,000 of value, with a $35 minimum.
• Valuation: the latest ICC Building Valuation Data. For remodeling, alteration and repair, the city uses 50 percent of the new-construction value, or the applicant's detailed estimate in extenuating circumstances.
• Plan review: 50 percent of the permit fee when plans are required.
• Failed inspection: $35. Failed re-inspection: $75.
• Residential demolition permit: $50. A footing and foundation only permit adds $54.

As arithmetic only: a valuation of $10,000 at $2.25 per $1,000 is $22.50, so the $35 minimum would apply. Your valuation comes from the city's tables, not your contract price. The city's Building and Site Development page lists an online building fee calculator; confirm current fees with the city.

Why unpermitted work is a problem when selling

Why unpermitted work is a problem when selling: we found no Columbia rule on what a seller must disclose, so we state none. What the code does say is that work started before a permit is pulled costs double the permit fee, and a second offense costs three times the fee. If the permit is not obtained within 5 days after written notice, $5 per day is added. A permit extension costs 50 percent of the permit fee. Keep the final inspection record with your house papers so you can show the work was inspected.

Which codes apply

Columbia's code text (Chapter 6, read 2026-10-27) lists the 2018 International Building Code, 2018 International Residential Code, 2018 plumbing and mechanical codes, and the 2017 National Electrical Code. The city's Building Code Adoption Project page (capture December 2025) says the city uses the 2018 codes and is reviewing the 2024 International Codes, with no effective date. Banners on the code pages show amending ordinances that we have not read, so 2018 is the last edition we can confirm in force. Ask the company which edition applies on the day your permit is issued.

The figures above are Columbia's. We did not read the permit pages of other towns or of Boone County, so ask which permit office covers your address.

Contract, change orders and lien waivers

What a written estimate and contract should hold

Ask that the contract state:

• The scope, listing rooms and trades, and what is not included.
• Which items carry an allowance because you have not chosen them yet, and what happens if you pick above it.
• The price and how you pay, tied to finished work.
• A start date, an expected finish and what happens if either slips.
• How changes are priced and approved, who pulls permits and who pays the fees, and who handles cleanup and debris removal.

Warranty in writing

Ask for a workmanship warranty on paper: how long it runs, what it covers, what voids it and how to make a claim. We have no sourced Columbia warranty norm, so the contract is where the terms must be written down.

Change orders

Ask how the company handles changes to the scope, price or schedule once work has started. Ask that each change is written down and signed by both sides before the work happens, showing the price and the days added. If a company says "we will sort it out later," treat that as a warning.

Lien waivers and the Missouri notice to owner

RSMo 429.012 says that before receiving any payment, an original contractor on a residential job must give the owner a written NOTICE TO OWNER in 10-point bold type. It warns that unpaid suppliers or workers can lead to a mechanic's lien, and that failing to secure lien waivers may result in your paying for labor and materials twice. The notice is a condition of any lien in the contractor's favor, and intentionally withholding it to defraud is a class B misdemeanor. Ask the company for lien waivers with each payment.

Right to cancel

If the sale was solicited at your home and agreed there, RSMo 407.710 requires a written NOTICE OF CANCELLATION in 10-point boldface. You may cancel by mailing notice within 3 business days after the transaction date, and the seller must cancel contracts and return property within 10 days. The statute has an exception where the buyer requests the work without delay in an emergency. Sales after negotiations at a fixed business location are outside the definition.

How to compare bids and spot red flags

The Missouri Attorney General (June 17, 2025) advises a written contract that details all the work, at least two or three bids, no prepaying, no cash payments, and a check of each company's complaint history with its office and the Better Business Bureau. Steps to take:

1. Give each company the same scope, drawings and list of selections.
2. Ask for a written estimate with line items, allowances and exclusions.
3. Compare the estimates. When one number is much lower, ask what that company left out.
4. Check each company's registration, city license and complaint history.
5. Ask for references from jobs like yours and call them.

Red flags

• A request to pay in full, or in cash, before work starts.
• No written contract, or a contract with a vague scope.
• No NOTICE TO OWNER before the first payment.
• A company that will not say whether your job needs a permit. Ask the city.
• No insurance certificate, or a company that dodges the question.

What to ask a general contractor before hiring

• Which city and trade licenses and which insurance does the company hold, and who can verify them?
• Who will run my job day to day, and how will I get updates?
• Who pulls the permits, and what will they cost?
• Is the price fixed or cost-plus, and what is the payment schedule?
• How are change orders priced and approved?
• What does the workmanship warranty cover, and for how long, in writing?
• For my house's age, how will you handle lead-safe work?
• Is the estimate free, or do you charge for design, and is it credited if I sign?

How long does a remodel take, and what slows it? Ask how permits, material orders, weather and hidden problems could slow your job

We found no published Columbia timeline, and a national figure would not fit your house. Questions to put to the company:

• Permits. When does the company expect to apply for the permit, and how long did its last few take?
• Orders. Are any items made to order, and when would they be ordered?
• Weather. Which steps depend on dry weather, and what does the schedule do when rain or cold stops them?
• Hidden problems. See below.
• Inspections. At which points does work wait for an inspector?

Ask for a written schedule with a start date, key milestones and an expected finish, and what happens to the date if a change order is signed.

Living at home during the work: dust and debris control and protecting the rest of the house

Ask about dust barriers, floor protection, where the debris goes and which hours the company's crew works, and put the answers in the contract. For a kitchen, ask how long you will be without it and plan a temporary kitchen elsewhere.

Hidden problems behind walls and floors: rot, old wiring, structural surprises and how change orders and contingency handle them

Ask how the company prices unknowns behind walls and floors, whether the quote holds a contingency (a set-aside amount for surprises), and how it will show you what it found, with photos, before it asks for more money. Change orders then record each finding, its price and the days added.

New construction vs remodeling: where a general contractor stops and a home builder starts

A general contractor for remodeling and new construction may do both, so ask whether the company takes new-home work or only remodels. If you want to build a house on land you own, ask a home builder the same questions as in this guide. Say plainly in the form whether the work is a remodel, an addition or a new home, so we pass your request to the right kind of company. The RSMo 429.012 notice does not apply to new residences where the buyer has lien protection through a Missouri-registered title insurer, so the paperwork differs.

Columbia details that change a job

These facts come from the city code, read on the city's code site on 2026-10-27. They separate a Columbia estimate from a generic one.

• Frost line. Columbia's local residential code values give a 30-inch frost line depth for footings and foundations.
• Loads and wind. Ground snow load 20, wind speed 115 mph, seismic design category B, and a termite damage rating of moderate to heavy. Ask about termite treatment and wood-to-soil clearance on an addition.
• Soils. The presumptive bearing value for clay and silt soils is raised from 1,500 to 2,000 pounds per square foot.
• Foundation repair. Foundation repairs on one- and two-family homes need no geotechnical evaluation or structural calculations.
• Setbacks for additions. In an R-1 district: front 25 feet, side 6 feet, corner street side 25 feet, rear the lesser of 30 percent of lot depth or 25 feet. In R-2: the same, except the rear is the lesser of 25 percent of lot depth or 25 feet. House height is limited to 35 feet, or 45 feet if both side yards are at least 15 feet. Your lot's zoning decides which applies.
• Digging. Missouri law (RSMo 319.026) says an excavator must notify the statewide notification center at least two working days, but not more than ten working days, before digging. Make sure the company knows to make the call.

Historic overlays

A certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission is required before exterior work that affects a feature listed in a local overlay ordinance. None is required for interior work unless the building is a designated landmark. The local list we read has four entries and no neighborhood-wide district. If your home may be listed, ask the city before you plan exterior changes.

Homes built before 1978 and the EPA lead rule

EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting program (page updated June 17, 2026) says anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 must be certified, and firms must be certified too, sole proprietors included. Owner-occupant do-it-yourself work is generally exempt. Rentals and flips are not. If your house is older than 1978, ask the company for its EPA lead-safe certification and how it will contain dust.

Basement finishing, garage conversion and ADU work as add-on jobs (no separate page at launch)

This site has no separate page at launch for these add-on jobs; ask the company whether it takes them on. Ask the company what its quote covers for each one, and which permits and zoning checks it expects. The sourced Columbia ADU rules are below.

Basements and radon

Missouri's health department says radon is present in every Missouri county, and about 1 in 3 tested homes exceeded the 4.0 pCi/L action level. Missouri has no radon testing regulations, and the department suggests testing in real estate sales. It recommends certified professionals and says mitigation averages $500 to $2,500. Ask whether the company expects a radon test before it finishes a basement. We did not find a Boone County radon zone.

Accessory units and garage conversions

Columbia's zoning standards for accessory dwelling units allow at most two dwelling units per lot. The lot must be at least 5,000 square feet and 30 feet wide in R-1, or 3,000 square feet and 30 feet wide in R-2 and R-MF. A detached unit must sit at least 10 feet behind the main house and 6 feet from the side and rear lot lines. It may be no larger than 75 percent of the main dwelling's area per Boone County Assessor records or 800 square feet, whichever is less, and no more than 30 percent of the rear yard. Height may not exceed the main house or 24 feet. It can have at most 3 bedrooms, and a plot plan is needed before the building permit. A detached accessory structure may connect to the house only by an open breezeway up to 6 feet wide.

Areas served

• Columbia
• Fulton
• Boonville
• Ashland
• Centralia
• California
• Holts Summit
• Fayette
• Hallsville

Columbia General Contractor connects homeowners with independent local companies for jobs in Columbia and nearby towns, including Ashland, Hallsville, Centralia, Fulton and Boonville. Tell the company where the house sits and ask which permit office covers your address. Columbia's fees and code figures on this page apply inside Columbia city limits only.

Questions about hiring a construction company

Do I need a licensed general contractor in Missouri?

Missouri has no state-issued contractor license, according to a Procore trade guide (June 2024) that we have not confirmed on a state page. Columbia licenses the electrical, plumbing and mechanical trades. Procore says Columbia requires a city business license; confirm with the city.

How much does a general contractor charge?

Commonly quoted, 10 to 20 percent of construction cost (Bob Vila, 2022). Ask whether the company bids a fixed price with the fee inside it, and get the method in writing.

Who pulls the permit?

In Columbia, permits for alterations and additions to one- and two-family homes may be issued to the general contractor on behalf of the master trade contractors, while city-licensed trades do the trade work.

How much is a Columbia building permit?

$2.25 per $1,000 of value with a $35 minimum, and remodels are valued at 50 percent of new-construction value. Plan review adds 50 percent when plans are required.

How long does a remodel take?

We found no published Columbia timeline. Ask for a written schedule and how permits, special orders affect it.

How big a deposit is normal?

We found no Missouri figure for a normal deposit. Ask for payments tied to finished work; the state's prepay and cash advice is in the bids section.

Is a free construction estimate normal?

The quote form on this page costs you nothing. Whether a company's own construction estimate is free varies, and some may charge for design before giving a price. Ask before you book a visit.

What is the difference between a general contractor and a design-build firm?

With a design-build firm the design and the construction come from one company. With a general contractor, ask whether you would get drawings first that several companies could bid on.

Can I cancel a contract I signed at home?

If the sale was solicited and agreed at your residence, RSMo 407.710 gives you 3 business days to cancel by mailing notice, with an exception for emergency work you requested.

Do older homes need special handling?

For homes built before 1978, EPA requires certified firms for paid work that disturbs painted surfaces. Ask for the certification.

Get matched with a local company

Send the quote form on this page. We call you back within one business day and connect you with a local construction company that takes homeowner jobs. You pay Columbia General Contractor nothing for the request. Tell us the room or the project, the town you are in and your rough budget, and ask the company for a written estimate with line items. Questions first? Use the contact page.

Related pages: kitchen remodeling in Columbia, bathroom remodeling in Columbia and home additions in Columbia.

Sources

1. Bob Vila, hiring a contractor (updated 2022-09-12; read 2026-10-27)
2. Bob Vila, kitchen remodel cost (2025-05-16; read 2026-10-27)
3. Bob Vila, bathroom remodel cost (2024-06-26; read 2026-10-27)
4. Bob Vila, home addition cost (page dated 2024-05-21; read 2026-10-27)
5. City of Columbia code of ordinances, Chapter 6 (read 2026-10-27)
6. City of Columbia, Unified Development Code, Chapter 29 (read 2026-10-27)
7. RSMo 429.012, RSMo 407.710, RSMo 407.700 and RSMo 319.026 (read 2026-10-27)
8. Missouri Attorney General, scam warnings (2025-06-17; read 2026-10-27)
9. EPA, Renovation, Repair and Painting program (updated 2026-06-17; read 2026-10-27)
10. Procore, Missouri contractor license guide (June 2024; third-party; read 2026-10-27)
11. Missouri DHSS, radon (read 2026-10-27)
12. Census Reporter, Columbia city profile (ACS 2024) and Boone County profile (ACS 2024) (read 2026-10-27)
13. NWS St. Louis, April 20, 2025 tornado (read 2026-10-27)
14. City of Columbia, Building Code Adoption Project (capture 2025-12-16; read 2026-10-27)
15. City of Columbia, Building and Site Development (capture 2026-04-28; read 2026-10-27)
16. City of Columbia, Business Licenses (capture 2026-02-10; read 2026-10-27)
17. Phoenix company website, company statement and Atlanta firm website, company statement (read 2026-10-27)