A general
contractor (main
contractor, prime
contractor) is
responsible for the day-to-day oversight of
a construction site, management of vendors
and
trades,
and
communication
of
information to involved parties throughout the
course of a building project.
Responsibilities
A general contractor is responsible for providing all of the material, labor, equipment (such
as engineering vehicles and tools) and services necessary for the construction of the project. The
general contractor hires specialized subcontractors to perform all or portions of the construction
work.
Responsibilities may include applying for building permits, securing the property, providing
temporary utilities on site, managing personnel on site, providing site surveying and engineering,
disposing or recycling of construction waste, monitoring schedules and cash flows, and maintaining
accurate records.
Licensing Qualifications
There are no set educational qualifications to become a general contractor, though many employers
prefer a bachelor's degree. Some general contractors obtain bachelor's degrees in construction
science, building science, surveying, construction safety, or other disciplines.
A subcontractor is an individual or in many cases a business that signs a contract to perform part
or all of the obligations of another's contract.
A subcontractor is a person who is hired
by
a general
contractor
(or
prime
contractor, or main contractor) to perform
a specific task as part of the overall
project and is normally paid for services
provided to the project by the originating
general
contractor.
While
the
most
common concept of a subcontractor is
in building works
the
range
of
and civil
engineering,
opportunities
for
subcontractor is much wider and it is
possible that the greatest number now
operate in the information technology and
information sectors of business.
The incentive to hire subcontractors is either to reduce costs or to mitigate project risks. In this way
the general contractor receives the same or better service than the general contractor could have
provided by itself, at lower overall risk. Many subcontractors do work for the same companies rather
than different ones. This allows subcontractors to further specialize their skills.
Domestic subcontractor
A subcontractor who contracts with the main contractor to supply or fix any materials or
goods or execute work forming part of the main contract. Essentially this contractor is
employed by the main contractor.
Nominated subcontractor
Certain contracts permit the architect or supervising officer to reserve the right of the final
selection and approval of subcontractors. The main contractor is permitted to make a profit
from the use of nominated subcontractors on site, but must provide "attendance" (usually the
provision of water, power, restrooms, and other services to enable the nominated
subcontractor to do his job). In effect the appointment of nominated subcontractors
establishes a direct contractual relationship between the client and the subcontractor.
Named subcontractors
Effectively the same as a domestic subcontractor - A subcontractor who contracts with the
main contractor to supply or fix any materials or goods or execute work forming part of the
main contract. Essentially this contractor is employed by the main contractor.
Subcontractors undertake a contract from the contractor.
Subcontractors can be anything from an individual self-employed person - e.g. a plumber
carrying out work for a building contractor - to a large national organization. A subcontractor has a
contract with the contractor for the services provided - an employee of the contractor cannot also be
a subcontractor.
Subcontractors undertake work that a contractor cannot do but for which the contractor is
responsible. For example, a building contractor may hire a subcontractor to complete the electrical
wiring part of the contractor's building job. The contractor is responsible to the client for the building
job including the part performed by the subcontractor.
Subcontractors might work on task-based contracts with no fixed date, long-term arrangements
which can be discontinued at any time, or fixed-term contracts.
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