Do you have a good construction contract?  Think maybe it could be better?  Read on.

Many engineers & architects work without proper contracts. Or, if they do, they sign owner-biased contracts that take precedence over their contract or letter proposal.  All design professionals should have a good contract—not just a letter proposal– that explains costs, options, services, and extras.   The best practice is to have a well-drafted form contract that you can then adapt, as needed, for a particular project.  If an owner insists on you signing their contract, you can and should have that contract reviewed and adapted to be fair to all parties.

We regularly represent certain engineering firms in negotiating acceptable contract changes to municipality-provided and other owner-generated “master service agreements” with success, and welcome the opportunity to work with you.

Having a well-drafted and/or negotiated contract:

(1) helps prevent misunderstandings and arguments;

(2) increases the chances that you will be paid for all of your work, especially extras; and

(3) protects you in the event of a lawsuit.

We offer a wide variety of contract services to help you, including:

• Drafting your form contract from scratch
• Revising & updating your form contract
• Modifying your form contract for a specific project
• Customizing industry-specific contracts (e.g., AIA, ConsensusDocs, EJCDC) for a project
• Reviewing & negotiating contracts presented to you by your client

A thorough contract review & analysis can provide untold benefits for years to come for a small upfront cost.   Likewise, having someone review and negotiate owner contracts on your behalf can pay untold dividends.

If you are interested in learning more, including your estimated out-of-pocket costs for such contract services, click here.

Photo (c) Melissa Brumback. .