What Does
Construction Contractor Mean?
A construction contractor is an individual or a firm that is hired to complete specialized tasks on construction projects. Unlike regular employees, they are hired on a contractual basis.
Construction contractors are hired, either directly by a builder or through third-party employers. They provide independent professional services, typically for the duration of a single project.
Firms classified as construction contractors can include single-person operations (independent contractors), small firms, and multinational firms in the “engineering, procurement, and construction” (EPC) industry.
Safeopedia Explains Construction Contractor
Bringing construction contractors onsite allows the company that hires them (known as the hiring firm) to:
- Temporarily increase their labor force to increase productivity or speed up a project, or
- Complete specialized tasks that their employees can’t, due to a lack of expertise of certification
The General Contractor
One of the key figures in complex construction projects is the general contractor (sometimes known as the prime contractor, main contractor, or principal contractor).
This contractor is responsible for hiring any subcontractors that are needed to complete a certain job. They also act as a project manager, overseeing the subcontractors and coordinating the services they provide.
A builder could, for example, hire a general contractor to handle the roofing on a series of residential construction projects. The general contractor would then be responsible for hiring the roofers, supervising their progress in completing the job, and ensuring that they conform to the hiring firm’s safety standards.
Types of Construction Contractor
There are various types of construction contractors, each specialized in a different aspect of construction. These include:
- Electrical
- Plumbing
- Flooring
- Masonry
- HVAC
- Drywall
- Insulation
- Excavation
- Concrete
Construction contractors can also specialize in different types of construction projects, including:
- Commercial contractors (specialized in commercial buildings, such as office buildings, retail spaces, and schools)
- Residential contractors (specialized in building homes, townhouses, and carrying out renovation projects for homeowners)
- Landscape contractors (specialized in the construction of outdoor spaces, such as garden areas and patios)
Contractor Safety
Construction is a high-hazard industry and construction workers face a higher rate of injuries and fatalities when compared to most other industries. As such, construction contractors will often use their safety record as a selling point when bidding for contracts.
The presence of contractors on a construction site introduces some complicated employment relationships. When there is a safety incident involving a contractor, the responsibility and liability generally falls on more than one party:
- For incidents involving a construction contractor, both the hiring firm and the contractor bear responsibility
- For incidents involving a subcontractor, the responsibility falls on the subcontractor and the general contractor that hired them
Legal Liability
Builders can transfer significant legal liability for safety risk to a general construction contractor, but only if they exercised sufficient due diligence when fielding prospective contractors.
General contractors are responsible for the work that is outlined in their contract and the work they delegate to subcontractors. They will also be held liable for any incidents that result from the work they are tasked with overseeing. Subcontractors also retain some level of responsibility for the safety of their own workers, even after they have been hired by a firm.
While employers and contractors can both face fines, charges, and lawsuits due to injury or death stemming from a contractor’s unsafe practices, safety violations are more likely to target the employer or general contractor.
Benefits and Risks of Hiring Construction Contractors
Hiring construction contractors can improve the safety of a construction project. However, it can also introduce certain safety risks.
The main safety benefit of hiring a construction contractor is that the builder is entrusting the work to a competent professional who has the training needed to understand the hazards and know how to do the job safely.
However, hiring construction contractors also means bringing people on the jobsite who are not directly under the builder’s control. While employers can minimize risk by following a comprehensive pre-qualification process, they are still delegating some of the selection and hiring process to a general contractor.