What is a General Contractor?
A general contractor, or a GC, is an organization that manages construction projects. When pumps are required as part of a construction project, the GC typically procures and installs the pumps.
In most major construction projects there are least a five different parties:
- The Owner: the person or organization who is paying for the work to be done and will retain ownership of the completed facility.
- The Engineer: the Engineering firm or in-house Engineering department that has designed the project.
- The General Contractor: typically referred to as the Contractor. The firm retained to complete the work.
- Subcontractors: firms retained to perform a specific portion of the work on behalf of the General Contractor.
- Suppliers: firms selected to supply goods incorporated into the project.
In most cases, the pumps are provided by a Supplier who might be either a pump distributor or a pump manufacturer. The pumps are typically purchased by the General Contractor. In the case of small pumps of negligible cost, they may be purchased by a Mechanical Subcontractor, or in the case of extremely expensive and critically important pumps, they may be selected and supplied by the Owner.
In the majority of construction projects the GC supplies the pumps, works with the Supplier and Engineer to ensure the pumps match the requirements of the project specifications, and then installs the pumps in accordance with the pump manufacturer’s instructions.