General construction refers to the total worldwide activities in construction projects, including infrastructure projects, building, excavation and engineering. General construction can be categorized by civil or heavy construction, building construction, and industrial construction. Construction represents one essential service in building and infrastructure projects out of the three core services – engineering, procurement and construction (EPC). While construction is limited as an activity to the start and completion of a building or infrastructure project, or the actual construction, general construction as an industry activity has come to encompass field engineering, contracting, and material procurement. Under an EPC contractor, all services are provided by one company or one lead contractor and its affiliates.
In the construction field, oversight and supervision is primarily the responsibility of the general contractor. The general contractor establishes the preliminary costs and price of the projects and provides it to the customer as an estimate. Performance is commonly rated by the contractor’s ability to stay on budget and complete the project on the preliminary timeline. Contractor services generally encompass site and project management, including the employment of laborers, skilled workers, and specialty technicians and engineers. Contractors are also commonly responsible for securing permits and other aspects of regulatory compliance such as waste disposal. Other construction project affiliates can include architects, project engineers and subcontractors with specialties in building and construction related areas. Other specialty consultants, contractors and engineers can be hired to ensure LEED ratings and green and sustainability standards.
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