Construction FAQ — Fort Worth & DFW
Answers to what building owners, facility managers, developers, and homeowners most often ask us. Fast General Contracting has built throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since 1995, and these are the questions that come up on nearly every project.
If yours isn’t here, call (817) 713-4943 or email us — we respond to every inquiry within one business day, seven days a week.
About Our Company
Q#1: How long has Fast General Contracting been in business?
Since 1995 — more than 25 years building throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. In that time we’ve delivered turnkey construction for warehouses, hospitals, hotels, schools, commercial centers, restaurants, office buildings, and luxury custom homes. You can read more on our about uspage, or browse completed work in our project portfolio.
Q#2: Who will actually manage my project?
Every project is staffed with a dedicated project executive, estimator, project manager, coordinator, and on-site superintendent, backed by procurement and administrative staff. That depth means problems get caught and solved quickly. Our construction management approach covers budget tracking, scheduling, subcontractor accountability, and quality control.
Q#3: Do you take on both commercial and residential work?
Yes — with the same commercial-grade project management on both. Our commercial construction side covers ground-up facilities, retail, warehouses, and industrial builds, while our residential construction side covers custom homes, luxury homes, room additions, and ADU / guest houses.
Q#4: What areas do you serve?
We serve the entire Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex from our office in North Richland Hills, with quick access to Tarrant, Dallas, Denton, and Collin counties — Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington, Keller, Southlake, Colleyville, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Grapevine, Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Denton, Flower Mound, Lewisville, Mansfield, and more. If your location isn’t listed, call (817) 713-4943.
Q#5: Are you familiar with permitting in different DFW cities?
Yes. Requirements vary meaningfully between municipalities, and knowing which city expects what is a large part of holding a realistic schedule. We manage building permits, plan review, inspection coordination, and certificate of occupancy across all DFW cities — see our permitting assistance service.
Commercial Projects
Q#6: What types of commercial buildings do you construct?
Office buildings, restaurants, warehouses, retail centers, industrial facilities, medical offices, hotels, and schools. We handle ground-up commercial construction, along with tenant improvements, office build-outs, tilt-wall construction, and climate-controlled warehouses.
Q#7: Can you renovate a building while it stays open?
In most cases, yes. We regularly work in occupied buildings — offices, retail, churches, and facilities that can’t shut down. Phasing, dust and noise containment, off-hours work, and temporary facilities are all options we’ll work through during the walkthrough.
Q#8: Do you work on public and municipal contracts?
Yes. We have completed projects for Dallas ISD, Tarrant County, Plano, The Colony, Cleburne, Burleson, Coppell, Grand Prairie, and others. We’re familiar with public bidding, bonding, prevailing wage documentation, and the inspection and reporting that comes with publicly funded work. Recent civic work includes the Veterans Memorial Plaza in Coppell and the Burleson Cemetery expansion — see our projects.
Q#9: Can you take over a project another contractor abandoned?
Yes. Stalled, over-budget, and contractor-abandoned jobs are a specific service — see troubled project recovery for how we assess and restart them.
Residential Projects
Q#10: What kind of homes do you build?
Fully custom design-build homes throughout DFW. See custom home building and luxury home building.
Q#11: Do you do home additions and renovations?
Yes. We handle room additions — second-story additions, master suites, and full expansions — plus ADU construction for guest houses, garage conversions, and in-law suites, and kitchen and bathroom remodeling.
Q#12: Do you take small repair jobs?
Generally we take on projects $50K and above. However, we will consider smaller projects within our neighborhood. You are welcome to inquire.
Credentials & Insurance
Q#13: Are you licensed, bonded, and insured?
Yes. We carry $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in aggregate general liability and $500,000 per accident, $500,000 per policy, and $100,000 per employee worker’s comp and provide certificates of insurance on request. We are bonded up to 5 Million, which allows us to bid public work. Texas doesn’t license general contractors at the state level, so insurance, bonding, and municipal registration are the meaningful credentials to ask about.
Q#14: Can you provide references?
Yes — our testimonials page has client feedback, and we provide direct references on request.
Q#15: What warranty do you provide?
Our warranty period is one calendar year and it covers any workmanship and material defects, plus manufacturer warranties are passed to project owner, which often offer extended coverages. We handle post-construction closeout and warranty management as part of every project.
Q#16: ADA & Texas Accessibility Standards
Yes. Accessibility work — restrooms, entrances, routes of travel, parking, ramps, and signage — is a regular part of our renovation scope, including bathroom remodeling built to ADA/TAS. Examples from previous projects: Linus 16 story Bathroom Renovation for Dallas ISD, Cleburne Railroad Museum Expansion, tenant improvement at Thai Restaurant in Fort Worth, newbuild warehouses at W820 and Blue Mound, etc.
Q#17: What Texas accessibility rules apply to my building?
Texas has its own standard — the Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS), administered by TDLR — that applies alongside the federal ADA. Two points surprise owners most:
Religious organizations are exempt from the federal ADA, but not from TAS. Churches and other religious facilities fall under the Texas Architectural Barriers Act, with the exemption covering only spaces used primarily for religious rituals. Restrooms, lobbies, classrooms, and offices must comply.
The $50,000 threshold is total project cost, not just the accessibility portion. At or above it, the project must be registered with TDLR, reviewed by a Registered Accessibility Specialist, and inspected before closeout. Cities won’t issue a permit without proof of that filing — so it has to be handled before bids go out. Our permitting assistance service covers this coordination.
Q#18: Who is responsible for the TDLR filing?
The design professional who issues the plans submits them to TDLR. We have a trusted Registered Accessibility Specialist (RAS) who can approve the drawings for state of Texas. If you don’t have a design professional engaged, we can recommend architects and engineers we’ve worked with across DFW.
Cost, Schedule & Bidding
Q#19: How do I request an estimate or invite you to bid?
Call (817) 713-4943 or email [email protected] for bid invitations, to send plans and specs. We respond within one business day and are available seven days a week. There’s no charge for an initial consultation or estimate.
Q#20: How long will my project take?
It depends on scope, permitting, and site conditions, so we won’t quote a schedule before seeing the project. What we will do is give you a realistic timeline and flag which parts are outside our control — plan review and permit turnaround especially. Our pre-construction planning service exists to establish accurate budgets and schedules before construction starts.
Q#21: What drives construction cost the most?
Usually what you can’t see. On slab-on-grade buildings, relocating plumbing means saw-cutting and under-slab work — frequently the single largest variable in a renovation bid. Concealed conditions, hazardous materials in older buildings, and structural surprises follow. That’s why we walk a project before pricing it and state assumptions, allowances, and exclusions plainly.
Q#22: What is design-build, and is it right for my project?
Design-build puts design and construction under one contract with one point of accountability — usually a shorter schedule and fewer coordination gaps. See design-build services for how we structure these.
Permits & Site Work
Q#23: Do you handle permits and inspections?
Yes — building permits, plan review, inspection coordination, and certificate of occupancy across all DFW municipalities. See permitting assistance.
Q#24: Do you handle asbestos surveys and hazardous materials?
Texas requires an asbestos survey before renovating of public buildings. Older facilities commonly contain asbestos in floor tile, mastic, and joint compound, or lead paint if built before 1978. Generally we ask that project owner perform the survey and abatement prior to hiring our services. Either way, we identify the risk during the walkthrough and address it in the proposal.
Q#25: Do you handle site preparation and land development?
Yes. Site preparation covers land clearing, grading, excavation, drainage, and erosion control. Land development covers the full program — entitlements, civil engineering coordination, infrastructure, and pad-ready delivery. We also handle demolition, including selective demolition and interior strip-outs.
Still Have Questions?
Call us and describe your project. We’ve handled virtually every type of commercial and residential construction in DFW since 1995. If we can help, we’ll tell you. If someone else is better suited, we’ll tell you that too.