General foreman
A general foreman, sometimes also known as a site supervisor or construction works manager, is responsible for general management, organisational and operational control of a construction site.
The role of general foreman differs from that of a site foreman in that they must have an overall understanding of the different construction disciplines in order to organise all site teams, inspect their work and control the overall job. By contrast, a site foreman generally oversees the work of one or two teams rather than multiple disciplines.
As well as being in overall control of the construction site’s operational activities, the general foreman is often responsible for placing material orders, coordinating health and safety inspections, providing safety briefings, and so on.
On some projects, the general foreman may be in sole control of the site, whereas on larger and more complex projects they may work alongside a project manager and/or site manager. In these circumstances, the site manager may take some of the responsibilities for material ordering and health and safety inspections, as there are more working gangs and disciplines on site which require the general foreman’s operational control.
A general foreman must have several years of site experience, and generally progresses up from being a site foreman working across a number of different disciplines. They should have an excellent knowledge of materials handling and the internal procedures of their organisation.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
ECA, JIB and JTL back Fabian Society call to invest in skills for a stronger built environment workforce.
Women's Contributions to the Built Environment.
Calls for the delayed Circular Economy Strategy
Over 50 leading businesses, trade associations and professional bodies, including CIAT, and UKGBC sign open letter.
The future workforce: culture change and skill
Under the spotlight at UK Construction Week London.
A landmark moment for postmodern heritage.
A safe energy transition – ECA launches a new Charter
Practical policy actions to speed up low carbon adoption while maintaining installation safety and competency.
Frank Duffy: Researcher and Practitioner
Reflections on achievements and relevance to the wider research and practice communities.
The 2026 Compliance Landscape: Fire doors
Why 'Business as Usual' is a Liability.
Cutting construction carbon footprint by caring for soil
Is construction neglecting one of the planet’s most powerful carbon stores and one of our greatest natural climate allies.
ARCHITECTURE: How's it progressing?
Archiblogger posing questions of a historical and contextual nature.
The roofscape of Hampstead Garden Suburb
Residents, architects and roofers need to understand detailing.
Homes, landlords. tenants and the new housing standards
What will it all mean?
The Architectural Technology podcast: Where it's AT
Catch-up on the latest episodes.
Edmundson Apprentice of the Year award 2026
Entries now open for this Electrical Contractors' Association award.
Traditional blue-grey slate from one of the oldest and largest UK slate quarries down in Cornwall.
There are plenty of sources with the potential to be redeveloped.
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.