REALWorld Law

Construction

Variations

How are variations to the specification for engineering or construction works normally dealt with?

United States

United States

Generally, changes to the work can be made to the drawings and specifications by using one of three methods, as follows:

Minor changes ordered by architect

Construction contracts typically provide that the design professional may make minor changes in the work without change to the contract time or contract price. For example, the AIA A201 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction gives the architect the authority to order minor changes as long as those changes do not require adjustments to the contact price or contract time and are consistent with the contract documents. Changes meeting those criteria are binding on both owner and contractor.

Change order agreed to by all parties

If the change is more extensive than a minor change to the work, then the change can be made by a written amendment to the construction contract, known as a change order. A change order provides for variations in the work where the architect, owner, and contractor agree as to the scope of the changed work and any increase or decrease to the contract price or time. The compensation for changed work might be a lump sum agreed upon at the time the need for change in work arises, or unit prices already provided for in the construction contract, or the cost of the work plus a fee, which fee is a percentage set forth in the construction contract to be applied to the cost of the work. Generally, the architect prepares the written change order and all parties execute it. As stated in payment, the change order should set forth all of the details of the work, including the scope, cost, and time of the changed work.

Construction change directive issued by owner

If the parties cannot agree on the changed work, the owner may unilaterally order a change in the work by issuing a construction change directive signed only by the owner. The method of calculating the contractor’s compensation for changed work in the event the parties cannot reach agreement should be set forth in the contract and that calculation is then applied to the changed work should the need arise. For example, a common method of calculating compensation for changed work absent mutual agreement is to pay the contractor the cost of the work plus a percentage of such cost for profit and overhead. The AIA A201 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction uses that approach, providing that the contractor is entitled to the sum of the costs of the following: labor, equipment, material, supplies, supervision, premium for any additional insurance coverage required and additional field office costs. The contractor also is entitled to a percentage of the foregoing sum as compensation for profit and overhead.

Cardinal changes

Variations to specifications that far exceed the scope of the work are known as cardinal changes. A contractor cannot be forced to perform a cardinal change; rather, a cardinal change constitutes a breach of the contract. Whether a change is a cardinal change is decided on a case-by-case basis, but an example might be adding a fourth story to building that initially was to be three stories. The contractor generally cannot be forced to perform changed work that far exceeds the scope of the work.