A flow-down clause is the standard mechanism by which the GC pushes prime contract obligations downstream to its subcontractors. The typical wording: "Subcontractor agrees to be bound to Contractor by all terms of the Prime Contract that apply to Subcontractor's scope of work, to the same extent that Contractor is bound to Owner." Flow-downs commonly cover: dispute resolution, indemnification, insurance, schedule, payment terms, and notice requirements.
Flow-down clauses are often broader than they appear. A sub signing without reading the prime contract may discover months later that it agreed to mandatory arbitration, broad indemnification, or onerous notice deadlines it never explicitly accepted. Best practice: insist the GC provide the prime contract before subcontract execution, identify which prime contract clauses flow down, and negotiate carve-outs for any term that materially shifts risk to the sub.