Drawings and specifications purport to be logical and categorized. Generally they are. A particular drawing depicts a certain aspect of the work. A section of the specifications describes the requirements for a particular type of work. One might assume that these drawings and specifications offer “one-stop shopping” for determining the work requirements. That assumption can prove dangerous.
It is important for contractors to bear in mind that project owners and their designers have no legal obligation to organize or segregate drawings and specifications by trade. It is not their responsibility to provide contract documents which facilitate or accommodate subcontracting. It is the prime contractor’s responsibility to award subcontracts which accomplish completion of the full scope of work.
The classic example of this problem is the electrical hook-ups for equipment. The work might be found in the mechanical specs rather than the electrical specs. To which subcontractor did the prime contractor assign the work? Did the prime assign the work to either subcontractor? Another example is found in one of the cases reported this week. The Advisor wants to hear from readers regarding their practices to assure comprehensive and logical subcontracting.
Featured in the Construction Claims Advisor next week:
- Deleted Work Was Not Included in Subcontract
- Board Addresses Deleted Labor and Material Costs
- Numerical Scoring Did Not Indicate “Mechanical” Evaluation of Proposal
