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Civil Engineering & Construction vocabulary · Contracts and Payments

Subcontractor

Meaning in civil engineering & construction, with examples

/ˌsʌbˈkɑːntræktər/nounCore term

In civil engineering & construction, subcontractor means: A company hired by the main contractor, not by the client, to do one part of the work, such as piling, steelwork, electrical installation or plastering.

In Turkish: taşeron, alt yüklenici

How it is used

Used constantly in site meetings and programmes. Main contractors appoint, manage and pay subcontractors; one chosen by the client is a nominated subcontractor. The verb is subcontract.

Example sentences

  1. The waterproofing subcontractor won't start until the basement walls are dry.

  2. We subcontracted the piling to a specialist firm.

Common collocations

  • appoint a subcontractor
  • specialist subcontractor
  • nominated subcontractor
  • subcontract package
  • contractorA company or person that agrees, under a contract, to carry out construction work for a client for an agreed price and within an agreed time.
  • clientThe person or organisation that orders and pays for a construction project. Many standard contracts call the client the Employer or the Owner.
  • foremanAn experienced tradesperson who leads a team of workers on site, plans their daily tasks and makes sure the work is done properly and safely.
  • variation orderA formal written instruction from the client or engineer that changes the work in the contract, for example by adding, removing or altering an item.

More terms: Contracts and Payments

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