noun
general contractor; civil engineering and construction firm
Refers to a company or business that handles both civil engineering (earthworks, infrastructure) and building construction. Often used in business and news contexts.
地元の土建屋が橋の工事を請け負った。
A local general contractor undertook the bridge construction.
父は小さな土建屋を経営している。
My father runs a small civil engineering and construction company.
ゼネコン (general contractor) is a loanword abbreviation typically used for large-scale, often nationwide or international contractors, whereas 土建屋 can refer to firms of any size, including small local businesses.
Compound of 土 (do, 'earth, soil'), 建 (ken, 'build'), and 屋 (ya, 'shop, business'). Literally 'earth-build shop', referring to a business that handles both earthworks and construction.