Understanding and Using Today's Construction Contract Documents

The legal courts are full of cases involving improperly prepared contract documents. It's apparent that many contractors and owners alike do not know about the sacredness of contracts or how to go about documenting them.

Owners can be forgiven for not knowing: they only participate in one of two construction contracts in their entire lives. But contractors make their living through contracts, and are involved with contracts and subcontracts every day of the week. In today's construction industry, working under properly prepared contract documents may make all the difference between success and failure.

Contractors specialize in complicated, large projects where an architect has compiled the documents are more or less used to working under standard forms issued by the American Institute of Architects. However, a large part of construction in the United States and Canada today is small, simple projects where no architect is involved and where the contractor prepares the documents. While AIA's standard forms are reviewed here, the primary purpose of this text is to explain the intent and use of standard forms available to every licensed contractor in the State of California.