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What does a general foreman do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a general foreman do

Using their knowledge and expertise of all construction disciplines, a general foreman plans and oversees operations within a construction site to ensure that everything is running smoothly. They are typically in charge of conducting regular inspections, coordinating with engineers and architects, managing the budget and expenditures, supervising workers, and ensuring that the project moves according to the desired time frame. Furthermore, a general foreman implements all safety regulations and policies to ensure a safe and productive work environment for everyone.

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General foreman responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real general foreman resumes:

  • Manage and supervise residential remodel and new construction projects.
  • Install EMT, ridge, and PVC conduit systems for the protection and utilization of electrical wiring.
  • Work with many types of PVC style roof systems ..
  • Instruct on how to properly rig parts on flat bar, load and unload trucks
  • Clean and maintain seal coat rig including removing and replacing gaskets, spools and pipe.
  • Work involve using of hand and power tools, wedges, dogs, and turnbuckles.
  • Maintain progress reports for all structural work, keep time for 23 employees, supervise a crew of MIG welders.
  • Lead man on HVAC crew coordinating all phases of installation, responsible for calculating wire pulls and design of conduit systems.
  • Handle routine repairs to building such as plumbing, HVAC, repair PVC piping, electrical maintenance, carpentry and masonry.
  • Oversee various projects of schedule machinery moves with the use of cranes, forklifts and other equipment to complete customer deadlines.
  • Ensure the company are compliant with OSHA regulations and legislation involving occupational safety and health activities.
  • Perform supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the current OSHA safety guidelines, local jurisdiction policies and applicable laws.
  • Demonstrate cross-functional and collaborative team leadership while also delivering superior customer service to maintain client satisfaction and retention.
  • Supervise crane and rigging operations.
  • Work in Dow, BASF, Phillips, and Shintec for local contract companies

General foreman skills and personality traits

We calculated that 11% of General Foremen are proficient in Safety Procedures, OSHA, and Safety Rules. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Listening skills, and Communication skills.

We break down the percentage of General Foremen that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Safety Procedures, 11%

    Maintained a safe working environment by monitored safety procedures and equipment.

  • OSHA, 9%

    Performed supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the current OSHA safety guidelines, local jurisdiction policies and applicable laws.

  • Safety Rules, 8%

    Promoted area safety rules and requirements.

  • Quality Standards, 6%

    Insure all installations of equipment and components complied with company and vendor quality standards and installations specifications.

  • Oversight, 5%

    Provided oversight of interior construction within building.

  • Safety Policies, 5%

    Managed and evaluated projects and personnel, including ensuring safety policies were followed.

"safety procedures," "osha," and "safety rules" are among the most common skills that general foremen use at work. You can find even more general foreman responsibilities below, including:

Detail oriented. The most essential soft skill for a general foreman to carry out their responsibilities is detail oriented. This skill is important for the role because "forest and conservation workers must observe gauges, dials, and other indicators to ensure that equipment works properly." Additionally, a general foreman resume shows how their duties depend on detail oriented: "perform detailed inspections to proactively identify complex issues and schedule preventative maintenance for over 600 hvac units. "

Listening skills. Many general foreman duties rely on listening skills. "forest and conservation workers must understand the instructions they receive before performing tasks.," so a general foreman will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways general foreman responsibilities rely on listening skills: "cat 6, fiber optic, coaxial) communicated with clients and employees to determine their needs. "

Communication skills. general foremen are also known for communication skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to general foreman responsibilities, because "forest and conservation workers must convey information to foresters and conservation scientists and other workers." A general foreman resume example shows how communication skills is used in the workplace: "finished projected on date appointed managed a team of seven works maintained constant communication with customer maintained a full customer satisfaction"

See the full list of general foreman skills

The three companies that hire the most general foremans are:

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Compare different general foremen

General foreman vs. Prestressed concrete labour

Prestressed concrete labor works at construction sites where they are in charge of handling and processing prestressed concrete materials into structural forms. They typically coordinate with managers and engineers to learn the construction plans and guidelines, design and build structures, prepare materials, and perform corrective measures when necessary. They must also maintain an active communication line with staff, coordinating regularly. Moreover, prestressed concrete labor must abide by the construction site's safety policies and regulations for a safe and efficient work environment.

We looked at the average general foreman salary and compared it with the wages of a prestressed concrete labour. Generally speaking, prestressed concrete labours are paid $14,370 lower than general foremen per year.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between general foremen and prestressed concrete labours are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like osha, safety regulations, and construction projects.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a general foreman are more likely to require skills like "safety procedures," "safety rules," "quality standards," and "oversight." On the other hand, a job as a prestressed concrete labour requires skills like "rakes," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "shovels." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Prestressed concrete labours earn the highest salaries when working in the construction industry, with an average yearly salary of $38,973. On the other hand, general foremen are paid more in the construction industry with an average salary of $54,753.On average, prestressed concrete labours reach similar levels of education than general foremen. Prestressed concrete labours are 3.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

General foreman vs. Construction inspector

A construction inspector is an individual who is responsible for inspecting construction sites to ensure that these sites are following local and building codes and ordinances, zoning regulations, and contract specifications. Construction inspectors use survey equipment, metering devices, and test equipment to perform inspections of plumbing, electrical and other systems within the construction. They approve building plans that are satisfactory and issue violation notices and stop orders when there are violations. Construction inspectors also keep photographs taken during inspections and provide written documentation.

A career as a construction inspector brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a general foreman. In fact, construction inspectors salary is $3,789 higher than the salary of general foremen per year.A few skills overlap for general foremen and construction inspectors. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "osha," "safety regulations," and "construction projects. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, general foreman responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "safety procedures," "safety rules," "quality standards," and "oversight." Meanwhile, a construction inspector has duties that require skills in areas such as "asphalt," "aci," "construction inspection," and "construction management." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Construction inspectors earn a higher average salary than general foremen. But construction inspectors earn the highest pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $62,629. Additionally, general foremen earn the highest salaries in the construction with average pay of $54,753 annually.construction inspectors earn similar levels of education than general foremen in general. They're 3.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

General foreman vs. Apprentice carpenter

An apprentice carpenter is responsible for assisting the carpenter on construction operations, ensuring the adherence to safety protocols, and following clients' specifications. Apprentice carpenters monitor carpentry tools and equipment adequacy, inspect the items for any defects for immediate repair or replacements, and analyze blueprints and schematics, especially for installing systems and essential components on the construction. An apprentice carpenter must have excellent organizational and time-management skills and extensive knowledge of the carpentry industry to support the project completion for the customer's satisfaction.

On average scale, apprentices carpenter bring in lower salaries than general foremen. In fact, they earn a $10,615 lower salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on general foremen and apprentices carpenter resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "safety rules," "safety regulations," and "construction projects.rdquo;

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, general foremen are more likely to have skills like "safety procedures," "osha," "quality standards," and "oversight." But a apprentice carpenter is more likely to have skills like "hand tools," "ladders," "caulking," and "work ethic."

Apprentices carpenter earn the highest salary when working in the construction industry, where they receive an average salary of $42,204. Comparatively, general foremen have the highest earning potential in the construction industry, with an average salary of $54,753.Most apprentices carpenter achieve a similar degree level compared to general foremen. For example, they're 2.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

General foreman vs. Concrete finisher

A concrete finisher is responsible for smoothing out concrete surfaces, ensuring that the final result followed the design and client's specifications. Concrete finishers operate special construction equipment to stabilize concrete forms. They also analyze blueprints and construction plans to identify necessary techniques and adjustments to deliver a high-quality project. A concrete finisher must also observe strict safety guidelines and procedures for doing the task and making sure that all tools are maintained. A concrete finisher must show excellent time-management, as well as the ability to multi-task to perform duties within a fast-paced environment.

Concrete finishers typically earn lower pay than general foremen. On average, concrete finishers earn a $7,843 lower salary per year.While their salaries may vary, general foremen and concrete finishers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "osha," "safety rules," and "construction projects. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A general foreman uses "safety procedures," "quality standards," "oversight," and "safety policies." Concrete finishers are more likely to have duties that require skills in "hand tools," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "finishers. "In general, concrete finishers earn the most working in the construction industry, with an average salary of $42,634. The highest-paying industry for a general foreman is the construction industry.concrete finishers reach similar levels of education compared to general foremen, in general. The difference is that they're 2.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of general foreman

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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