Construction Term of the Month: The Two GCs

In the construction industry, there are two different meanings of the acronym GC:

• GC – General Contractor
• GC’s – General Conditions

Most people are aware of the term General Contractor (GC). The GC is the main contractor who is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site and hiring   of the subcontractors and suppliers for a project.  An effective general contractor has long-term relationships with a team of superintendents, specialty contractors or subcontractors.

General Conditions (GC’s) is a section of general clauses in the Contract Specifications that establish how the project is to be administered, included the contractors’ overhead, for both field and office. Other GC’s include field superintendents, project managers, dumpsters, insurance, field offices, surveying, temporary toilets, fire extinguishers, etc.