General contractor (GC)
Also: Prime contractor, Main contractor, Contractor
Quick definition: The firm that contracts directly with the owner to build the project for an agreed price, hires and coordinates the trade contractors and suppliers, and controls the site.
Explanation
Beginner explanation
The general contractor is the main builder. The owner signs one construction contract with the GC, and the GC hires the electricians, plumbers, steel erectors and other trades and makes sure their work fits together.
Technical explanation
In a Design-bid-build stipulated price contract such as CCDC 2, the GC (the "Contractor") is responsible for construction means and methods, safety on site, coordination of subcontractors, and delivering the Work for the Contract Price within the Contract Time. In ISO 19650 terms a GC is usually a Lead appointed party for construction information. Many GCs also run in-house VDC teams for coordination, 4D planning and quantity take-off.
Practical example
Under CCDC 2, a GC builds a fire hall for a stipulated price of $14.2 million, subcontracting 85% of the work to 22 trades while self-performing concrete and carpentry.
Why it matters
The GC is the owner's single point of responsibility for construction; who the GC is accountable to — and for what — is set by the contract form.
Standards and references
- Compare and Contract: CCDC 2 and CCDC 5A. Ontario Bar Association, 2023.Widely accepted professional interpretation
Supports: Under CCDC 2 the contractor hires its own trades, obtains materials, completes and coordinates the work and runs the site
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VDC Stack.io. (2026). General contractor (GC). In VDC Stack.io Knowledge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://vdcstack.io/dictionary/general-contractor/