An understanding of construction contracts is essential to anyone involved in building product sales. As a manufacturer, you may not be a party to the agreements between Owner, Designer, and Contractor, but the conditions of their contracts shapes the environment in which you have to perform, including warranties, submittals, access to site, payments, etc.

The American Institute of Architects' contract documents are used for most building projects, and you should be especially familiar with AIA A201 - General Conditions of the Contract for Construction.

Increasingly, however, the ConsensusDOCS system of contracts is being used. These documents have been endorsed by a coalition of 32 construction industry associations, and many find them to allocate risks and responsibilities more efficiently and fairly. Written in plain English and not legalese, they have also been developed to recognize new industry trends such as BIM, green construction, and integrated project delivery. Click here for sample documents.