Five Things You Didn’t Know About AIA Contract Documents

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["u"],["strong"],["i"]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"April 19, 2022"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"AIA Contract Documents are the\nindustry standard when it comes to construction agreements. Whether you\u2019re new\nto the AIA\u2019s contracts or have been using these documents for years, there may\nbe some things you didn\u2019t know about them. Here are five fun facts:"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"1. \n"],[0,[0,1],2,"The Very First AIA Contract Document was an Owner\/Contractor\nAgreement."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Yup, you read that right! The very\nfirst document that the AIA Contract Documents program published was titled the\nStandard \u201cForm of Contract\u201d (sometimes referred to as the \u201cUniform Contract\u201d) and\nwas a 4-page agreement between an owner and a contractor. It was created by the\nCommittee on Uniform Contracts, which at that time consisted of the American\nInstitute of Architects, the Western Association of Architects, and the\nNational Association of Builders."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"2. "],[0,[1],0,"\n"],[0,[0],2,"The Standard \u201cForm of Contract\u201d was First Published\nin 1888."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The Standard \u201cForm of Contract\u201d\nreferenced above was first published in 1888, over 130 years ago. While the\noriginal version was only 4 pages long, it has evolved into what is now the well-known\nA201-2017, which runs 38 pages. In fact, if you look hard enough, you can still\nfind remnants of the original 1888 language in the current A201-2017."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"3. \n"],[0,[0,1],2,"AIA Contract Documents are Traditionally Updated\non a 10-Year Cycle."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The AIA Contract Documents program\ntypically updates documents on overlapping 10-year cycles. This length of time is\ndesigned to accomplish multiple goals. First, this length of time is long\nenough to allow for the documents to be used on projects from start-to-finish\n(which can be many years) and for the entire industry (contractors, architects,\nowners, consultants, lawyers, courts, insurance professionals, etc.) to use,\nevaluate, and provide feedback on the documents. Second, this length of time is\nshort enough to allow the documents to evolve over time and respond to industry\ntrends and the feedback provided by users. Also, this regular cadence gives the\nindustry predictability as to when to expect revised documents."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"4. \n"],[0,[0,1],2,"One of the Most Well-Known AIA Contract\nDocuments, the A201 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction, is Updated\non the Years Ending in \u201c7.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The current version of one of the\nAIA\u2019s flagship documents, the A201 General Conditions, was last updated in\n2017, and it will be updated again in 2027. However, it wasn\u2019t always updated \u201con\nthe sevens.\u201d If you recall, a prior iteration of the document was first\npublished in 1888 and has had many interim updates throughout the last century.\nBut, the cadence of updating \u201con the sevens\u201d started in 1987. Before then, the\nA201 was updated in 1976, 1970, 1966, 1963, 1961, 1958, 1951, 1937, 1925, 1918,\n1915, and 1911."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"5. \n"],[0,[0,1],2,"The Updating Process for Some AIA Contract\nDocuments Can Take Three Years or More."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Sticking with the A201-2017 General\nConditions, for example, the process undertaken by the AIA Contract Documents\nprogram to update this document will take at least three years. This process\nincludes things like reviewing comments received on the document over the past\ndecade, reaching out to industry liaisons of all types to receive feedback on\nthe current document, drafting revisions and receiving feedback on those\nrevisions several times, and a thorough approval process by the AIA Contract\nDocuments Committee. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"So, when you begin your next project\nusing one of the AIA Contract Documents \u2013 such as the A201 \u2013 you can be sure\nthat many hours and thorough consideration has been given to each and every\nclause within that document, which ensures that it is fair \u0026 balanced, that\nit represents the industry\u2019s current trends, and that it continues to be the\nindustry standard."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1,2],2,"AIA Contract Documents has provided this\narticle for general informational purposes only. The information provided is\nnot legal opinion or legal advice and does not create an attorney-client\nrelationship of any kind. This article is also not intended to provide guidance\nas to how project parties should interpret their specific contracts or resolve\ncontract disputes, as those decisions will need to be made in consultation with\nlegal counsel, insurance counsel, and other professionals, and based upon a\nmultitude of factors. "]]]]}