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Comprehensive revisions to several prime and subcontract agreements were published early this month by the ConsensusDocs Coalition. Composed of 40 design and construction industry associations (including CSI), the group seeks to publish contracts capable of advancing project results, and provides the only contracts written by industry organizations, with a catalogue of more than 100 documents addressing fair risk allocation and best practices.
These updates are intended to reflect industry changes in areas such as insurance, legal, technology, and terminology, and were created from extensive feedback (from industry professionals, participants, and attorneys), the volunteered time of the ConsensusDocs Content Advisory Council, and member organization contributions.
“This update reaffirms that using fair contracts to get better project results with less claims makes sense for today’s construction industry,” says Brian Perlberg, the executive director of ConsensusDocs. “In order to stay ahead of the curve, refinements addressing changes in the insurance market, technology advances, and terminology refinements are being published. Fundamental principles of owner active engagement, direct and positive party communications, and clear and understandable legal writing remain in place.”
Contracts just published include:
- ConsensusDocs 200, Owner and Constructor Agreement;
- ConsensusDocs 205, Owner and Constructor Short Form Agreement;
- ConsensusDocs 240, Owner and Design Professional Agreement;
- ConsensusDocs 750, Constructor and Subcontractor Agreement; and
- ConsensusDocs 751, Constructor and Subcontractor Short Form Agreement.
Those to be released in 2017 include:
- ConsensusDocs 235, Owner and Constructor Short Form Agreement (Cost of Work);
- ConsensusDocs 245, Owner and Design Professional Short Form Agreement;
- ConsensusDocs 410, Owner and Design-builder Agreement (Cost of Work plus Fee with GMP);
- ConsensusDocs 415, Owner and Design-builder Agreement (Lump Sum);
- ConsensusDocs 420, Design-builder and Design Professional Agreement;
- ConsensusDocs 450, Design-builder and Subcontractor Agreement;
- ConsensusDocs 460, Design-builder and Subcontractor Agreement (Cost plus Fee with GMP); and
- ConsensusDocs 500, Owner and Construction Manager Agreement (GMP with Preconstruction Services Option).
