Contractor's General Building

An error caught on paper costs a question; the same error caught after the work is covered costs demolition. The general contractor reviews the documents before bidding, checks installed work before it is concealed, and records every discrepancy in writing.

Review includes the project manager, superintendent, and key subcontractors. Drawings are cross-referenced: architectural plans against structural, reflected ceiling plans against mechanical layouts, the site plan against civil. Specifications are checked against the drawings for conflicting or unavailable materials. A constructability review asks whether the design can be built efficiently.

The contract documents are the drawings, which show location, size, and quantity, and the specifications, which state material quality and workmanship in writing. Together they define what must be built. The approved, stamped permit set is the one that governs in the field.

A plan is a horizontal cut viewed from above; an elevation is a view of a vertical face; a section is a vertical slice showing ceiling heights and structure, located by a section mark on the plan. Details enlarge a small area at a larger scale.

Specifications follow CSI MasterFormat, 50 divisions numbered 00 through 49. Each section has three parts: Part 1 General (administrative requirements and submittals), Part 2 Products, and Part 3 Execution. A prescriptive specification dictates materials and methods, a performance specification states the required result, and a proprietary specification names a product.

Shop drawings are prepared by the contractor, subcontractor, or supplier to show how an item, such as trusses, steel, or millwork, will be fabricated and installed. Division 01 sets the submittal procedures; Part 1 of each section lists the submittals required. The general contractor checks each one against the contract documents before forwarding it, and a submittal log tracks dates and status.