Contractor vs supplier
In very broad terms, 'contractors' are organisations appointed by clients to complete construction works. However, this apparently straight-forward definition is complicated by the fact that contractors tend not to have all the trades or goods required to construct a building themselves. This means that they are likely to appoint a range of subcontractors and suppliers to help build the works for which they have been contracted.
Traditionally, ‘suppliers’ were considered to be organisations contracted to provide physical supplies such as goods, materials, plant, and so on, either directly to the client or to the contractor or subcontractors.
However, this definition has become blurred by the increasing complexity of the construction supply chain and the emergence of practices such as off-site fabrication in which the provision of complex fabricated goods might include activities that would otherwise be classified as construction work, and the increasing outsourcing of operational contracts for the supply of services (rather than goods) to run completed developments.
A more simple distinction therefore might be that a contractor is contracted to complete construction works whilst a supplier is contracted to supply particular goods or services.
However, the distinction has been further complicated by the UK government using the term ‘supplier’ to refer to any ‘…provider of services or goods either directly to the employer or to another supplier in a supply chain’ and suggesting that ‘...a tier 1 supplier can provide services to the project (for example, development of the project brief, architectural services, engineering services, construction management services), or can provide goods to the project (for example, constructed assets)’ (ref. PAS 1192-2).
This catch all definition suggests that the term ‘supplier’ could be used to refer to contractors, subcontractors, consultants, suppliers and service providers.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Contractor.
- Domestic sub-contractor.
- Integrated supply team.
- Main contract.
- Main contractor.
- Named sub-contractor.
- Nominated sub-contractor.
- Nominated supplier.
- Procurement route.
- Service provider.
- Specialist contractors.
- Specialist subcontractor.
- Specialist supplier.
- Sub-consultant.
- Subcontractor.
- Subcontractor vs supplier.
- Supplier.
- Supplier assessment.
- Supplier selection.
- Supply.
- Supply chain.
- Supply chain management.
- Trade contractor.
- Types of contractor.
- Works contractor.
Featured articles and news
A transformative shift in the design, construction and management of built assets.
Apprenticeship announcement by the Prime Minister
Welcomed but with call for more actionable detail.
Heat pump announcements, what homeowners need to know
An 'ultimate guide to heat pumps' from a heating company.
Construction contract awards reach 7.1bn in February
Their highest level in seven months.
The journey to sustainability in heritage
Research is the key to better understanding.
Heritage approaches to adaptation, mitigation and loss.
Bridging the gap between policy, finance and installation.
Development on brownfield land
Definition, background, policy and the latest consultation.
With the Design Framework for Building Services.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Pertinent technical issues, measures and the roles involved.
ECA joins HSE campaign to support mental health
Working Minds’ five simple steps based on risk assessment.
Mental health in the construction industry
Mental health issues in brief with related articles.
Transitional arrangements, Building Control and the BSR.
For pre-October buildings with substantial progress by April.
Why quality counts in domestic ventilation systems
From products, to systems to the installation.
Empowering the Future with CIOB Academy
Lifelong learning, upscaling, and reskilling for the built environment.