General Conditions in a Construction Contract

The general conditions of a construction contract define roles and rules for the work ahead.

An agreement, general conditions, drawings, specifications and other documents comprise a typical construction contract. General conditions define each contracting party's duties and privileges, and the rules by which they are to meet obligations and perform the work they agreed upon.

Purpose

General conditions provide the legal framework for the construction contract and promote fairness among all contracting parties. When referenced in other owner and contractor sub-agreements, they maintain vital order and consistency.

Roles

General conditions detail the rights, responsibilities and relationships of the owner, contractor and prime architect or engineer who will be working with both parties throughout construction.

Rules

These conditions stipulate rules regarding subcontractors, changes, time, payments, completion, protection of persons and property, insurance, bonds, correction, termination, suspension, claims and disputes.

Revisions

Supplementary conditions may revise or add to the general conditions and supersede them.

Formats

Various architecture, engineering and construction industry associations offer standardized general conditions documents, which can be used in many projects and construction methods. Owners who regularly or repeatedly contract for construction services typically use their own customized, proprietary documents.

Specifications

A construction project's technical specifications stipulate the administrative requirements of the general and supplementary conditions.

References

• "Legal Aspects of Architecture, Engineering and the Construction Process"; Justin Sweet and Marc M. Schneier; 2008
• AIA: Document Commentary: General Conditions of the Contract for Construction

Resources

• BSD: Specifiers' Library Agreements and General Conditions
• PDH Online: Construction Contract Basics
• Docstoc: The Construction Contract