Contract and Legal Terms Flashcards
Contract
An agreement between two or more parties that stipulates the exchange of things of value between the parties in the contract.
Percentage of cost agreement
A contract where the fee for services is based on percent of construction costs.
Time and Materials Agreement
contractors will be reimbursed for the material costs, and they will also be paid a rate for the time they’re working on the job.
Flat Fee Agreement/Fixed Price
A contract where the fee is fixed in advance of beginning work. Payment linked to contract defined deliverables. Must have a well defined scope.
Time and Materials with Maximum not to Exceed
includes a cap that represents the maximum amount that can be charged by the contractor. Provides owners with more security. Removes potential for profit from design firms.
Cost Plus Fixed Fee
Hourly cost plus a negotiated flat fee. Uncommon.
Preamble
Lists date, parties of the contract, description of work or services, and compensation.
Basic Services
Services to be provided (ie Scope of Work)
Services
Spells out other services and anticipated compensation (use of subconsultants).
Owner’s Responsibility
Provision of necessary information (surveys, grading etc.) to successfully execute contract.
Reimbursable Expenses
Direct costs to the designer that will be documented and compensated. Travel, delivery, reproduction.
Method of Payment
How and when payments are to be made and products delivered.
Indemnity Clause
Client and consultant agree to hold each other harmless in the event of liability claims.
Conclusion
Termination Clauses, statements regarding ownerships of original drawings, limits of liability.
Successor and Assigns
Transferability of responsibility should one of the parties sell the business, property or die.
Signature Section
Where parties of the contract sign.
Contract Amendment
Additional service requests, contract modifications or amendments to professional services. Bases on the same terms as the original contract. Includes detailed description of additional work , scope, fee and schedule, date and both parties signatures.
Tort
A civil wrong for which a court will grant a remedy. Someone has suffered damage, and somebody else is at fault.
Independent of contract, does not break any laws.
Intentional Tort
Misrepresentation of facts, deceit -rare in the design field.
Unintentional Tort
Generally deal with issues of negligence. Considerable concern to the design field.
Negligence
Failure to exercise the care that a prudent person usually exercises.
Duty of Care
Doctrine of Respondent Superior -Employers are responsible for the acts of their employees while they are working within their employment duties.
Doctrine of Gratuitous Service - volunteer and free services carry same responsibility as paid services.
Breach of Duty
Affirmative Acts - giving incorrect advice or issuing drawings that result in damage.
Failure to Act (Errors and Omissions) - Failing to provide advice or mission of a drawing or spec that results in damage.
Causal Connection
To prove negligence, a connection between breach of duty and damage must be shown.
Compensatory Damages
Money awarded to a plaintiff to compensate for damages, injury, or another incurred loss. Medical bills, loss of wages, transportation etc.
Consequential Damages
Damages arising out of circumstances known or that should have been foreseen at the time of agreement.
Liquidated Damages
Damage agreed to in the contract in the event of a breach or default by one party. Late project delivery.
Injunctions
Order issued by a judge which prohibit a person from performing a specific activity.
Caveat Emptor
Buyer beware. the principle that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made.
Comparative Negligence
The legal doctrine that wrongdoers should pay damages proportional to their fault.
Exculpatory Clause
A provision in a contract that relieves a party of liability.
Indemnity
A promise to hold a person harmless from liability or loss.
Latent Defect
A construction defect that is not perceptible by ordinary observation.
Lis Pendens
Official notice to the public that a lawsuit involving a claim on a property has been filed.
Litigation
Resorting to the legal system or courts to resolve a dispute.
Arbitration
Settlement of a claim by an impartial panel of experts.
Liability Insurance
Protects the professional against large monetary claims due to claims of negligence.
Limitation of Liability
When a design professional acts in good faith on behalf of client such professional would establish a reasonable assumption of liability in proportion to their fee. Should be in contract.
Mediation
A meeting between two parties in a dispute facilitated by an impartial third party. Mediator tries to get parties to come to a mutual resolution but has no power to enforce.
General Liability Insurance
Basic commercial insurance limited to liability claims of bodily injury or property damage at business or customer’s location.
Professional Liability Insurance
Errors and Omissions Insurance - Protects against loss from alleged negligent acts. Might include loss of client data, claims of non-performance or negligence.
Worker’s Compensation Insurance
Required when a business has W2 employees. Medical and disability coverage for on the job injuries or work related illness.
Fidelity or Commercial Dishonesty Bond
Provides coverage when an employee steals money, equipment or other assets.
Employment Practices Liability Insurance
Cover allegations of discrimination, wrongful termination and sexual harassment of employees.
Force Majeure
unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract. (Acts of god)
Billing/Contract Milestone
As each phase of a project is completed the contracted amount can be billed to the client. Public projects use task numbers. Some firms use Schematic Design->Design Development->Construction Docs structure.
Percentage Complete/Percentage Billed
Percentage of work actually finished, percentage that has been billed.
Critical Path Analysis Model
- List of all activities required to complete project
- Calculate duration of each activity to completion
- Dependencies between activities.
Calculates longest path of planned activities to the end of the project and the earliest and latest that each activity can start and finish without making the project longer.
Lines of communication- Private Development
Owner ^ Developer ^ Prime Consultant ^ Subconsultant
Lines of communication- Public Client
City Council ^ City Project Manager ^ Prime Design Consultant ^ Subconsultants
Lines of communication- Design Build
Owner ^ General Contractor ^ Prime Design Consultant ^ Subconsultants (design)
Lines of communication- Private Residence
Owner
Designer/Builder
Types of reports on a project
Site Inventory Report -photos, measurements, site notes.
Code Analysis Report
Soil Test (performed by soil testing lab)
Geotechnical Report (performed by geotechnical engineer)
Pro Forma Report - financial feasibility study
Quality Assurance/Quality Control
- review submittal sets to ensure design has stayed consistent with what was approved.
- checklist for project managers
- CAD standards that govern graphics as well as file structure
- Contract other firms to provide an independent review (often for construction detailing, cost estimating and value engineering)
Cost Estimate - Allowance
cost measurement for items that are hard to predict like water features
Cost estimate - Contingency
margin of error that covers unanticipated costs. Contingency is high in early stages (20%) and gets smaller as design is refined.
Consensus Building Steps
- Participant identification and recruitment
- Design of process to be used
- Problem definition and analysis
- Identification and evaluation of alternative solutions
- Decision making
- Finalization and approval
- Implementation
Outcome facilitation
the process of helping groups or individuals to learn, find a solution or reach a consensus without imposing or dictating an outcome.
Project Goals/Objective requirements
Determine client and user goals
Establish performance criteria that can be evaluated and measured.
Conduct study of potential users (market Demand)
Evaluate impacts of the regulatory and legal environment
Review similar projects and precedents
Confirm direction with specialists where applicable
Perform needs analysis
Assess population/demographics
Market Context
Methods of defining the market
- Trend Analysis
- Competitor Analysis
- Opportunities and threats
- Organizational analysis
Design Suitability
- Site opportunities and constraints
- Is market demand for the program sufficient in the area under consideration
- Accessibility, visibility, circulation, ADA
- Market Context
- User behavior
Program Development and Refinement
- Proposed activities and elements
- Spatial requirements for program elements
- Adjacency relationships between activities and elements
- Connectivity and circulation
- Phasing of future development
Project Parameters
- Problem Statement: Describes issues to be solved
- Goals and Objectives: Describes general outcomes
- Purpose Statement: Describes purpose of the plan or project
- Needs Statement- Describes the needs of the community or client
- Expected Outcomes Statement: same as goals
Problem Definition Process
- Understanding client organization, users, interests
- Identify problem - identify desires and expectations, come up with a definition all stakeholders can agree on.
- Determine causes of the problem - investigate possible causes and symptoms
- Outline a strategy for solving problems - identify objectives that will solve the problems
- Summarize findings in a problem statement - list goals and objectives
- Client sign off- present results of investigation to client
Goals and Objectives
Goals are more general, Objectives are more specific
Goal: Pedestrian friendly corridor
Objective-Enhance pedestrian’s sense of safety
Objective-Create a more attractive pedestrian environment
Objective-Enhance pedestrian connections between neighborhood and river park
- Problem Statement – Describes issues to be solved
- Goals & Objectives – Describes general outcomes and specific means (see below)
- Purpose Statement – Describes purpose of the plan or project
- Needs Statement – Describes the needs of the community or individual client
- Expected Outcomes Statement – Same as goals
Information Providing Techniques
- Web Sites
- Briefings
- Exhibit boards
- Feature stories
- Mailings
- News Conference
- Newsletters
- Press kits/news release
- Public service announcements
- Social media campaign