You are an engineer or architect. You understand the importance of thorough designs. What about thorough documentation of the daily happenings on the construction project? That is equally important.
As regular readers of this blog know, I have often spoken of the importance of proper record keeping on construction projects. In fact, lack of good project records is one of the 7 mistakes in my white paper 7 Critical Mistakes that Engineers & Architects make During Project Negotiation and Execution that Sabotage their Projects & Invite Litigation.
Now, a construction management expert, who, like me, sees the ugly when construction projects turn bad, has weighed in with perhaps the authoritative reasoning and rationale (pdf) for good project records. In short, if you need to make a claim later, or defend a claim of design errors or omissions, you need the documentation. It needs to be made during the project, and all team members must buy into the system. If you fail in these efforts, you could lose your claim or lawsuit. Hence, this post’s title. Poor record keeping can lead to the poor house, or today’s equivalent, bankruptcy, shuttering of your business, and related gloom and doom.
Paperwork is crucial during the construction lawsuit. Remember this, and plan and act accordingly.
Photo: Sampson Kempthorne workhouse design modified from Wikimedia (via cc).
I saw this sign outside the 
Anyone recognize the photo to the left? If you are of the Millennial generation, this is a quaint thing called a public pay phone. They used to be everywhere. Imagine, not having a cell phone to keep you in constant contact with Big Brother…………. [the good old days].
Do you like modern architecture? Is Frank Lloyd Wright someone you wish you could have met?