Defining the Terms
In Kuwait's construction industry, the terms 'general contracting' and 'building contracting' are sometimes used interchangeably and sometimes used to describe meaningfully different scopes of work. Understanding the distinction — and how different companies structure their capabilities within these terms — helps clients make more informed decisions about how to procure and award their construction projects.
At the broadest level, both general contracting and building contracting refer to the physical construction of a building or structure. However, the scope of management and coordination responsibility, the range of trades included, and the level of client interface differ between the two models as they are commonly applied in Kuwait's market.
What General Contracting Covers
General contracting, in its fullest sense, refers to taking complete responsibility for a construction project — managing not just the physical construction but the entire project delivery process including design review, procurement, subcontractor management, regulatory approvals, quality management, safety compliance, and formal project handover. A general contractor is the client's single point of contractual accountability.
A general contracting scope typically includes civil, structural, MEP, and finishing works under a single contract, coordinated and managed by the general contractor who bears full responsibility for the integrated delivery of all trades. The client deals with one company, one contract, and one management team throughout the project.
What Building Contracting Covers
Building contracting, as commonly applied in Kuwait, tends to refer specifically to the physical construction works — civil, structural, and sometimes internal finishing — without necessarily encompassing the full management scope of general contracting. A building contractor executes the building construction under a contract that defines the physical scope, while the client or their project manager may retain management of other project elements such as MEP, fit-out, and specialist works.
In practice, the distinction between general contracting and building contracting is not always clean, and different companies define these terms differently based on their own capabilities and market positioning. The key questions to ask any contractor are: What is your full scope of responsibility? What is included in your contract price? Who manages the trades not directly employed by you?
Which Model Suits Your Project?
For most clients undertaking construction projects in Kuwait — particularly those without an experienced in-house construction management team — general contracting provides the most effective, lowest-risk model. Single-source accountability means disputes about who is responsible for problems don't fall on the client to resolve. The client deals with one management team with full visibility over the whole project.
Building contracting as a standalone scope (separate from MEP, fit-out, and specialist works) is more appropriate for clients who have the in-house capability or the separately contracted project management resource to coordinate multiple packages, or where the building scope is straightforward and the specialist works are procured separately for good commercial reasons.
Eastern Legend's Approach
Eastern Legend operates as both a general contractor and a building contractor depending on the client's project requirements. For clients seeking full-scope, single-source accountability, we act as the general contractor — managing the entire project lifecycle including design review, procurement, MEP, and handover. For clients who require building construction works as a discrete package within a wider project structure, we can provide that scope as a building contractor.
Both models are delivered with the same standards of engineering oversight, quality management, safety compliance, and project management discipline that characterize all Eastern Legend projects in Kuwait.