Contract Documents

CONTRACT DOCUMENTS
WHAT ARE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS?

• Those documents that comprise a contract,
e.g., in a construction contract, the owner-
contractor agreement, conditions of the
contract (general, supplementary, and other
conditions), plans and/or drawings,
specifications, all addenda, modifications, and
changes thereto, together with any other
items stipulated as being specifically included
The ‘contract documents’ consist of:
The contract itself . A long legal contract between
the contractor and the owner.
The contract conditions. A legally binding part of

the Master Format Divisions-a general contextual
description of how the project is to be carried out.
The specifications. Prepared by the engineers,

architects and interior designers describing exactly
how and what is to be built.
The drawings. Prepared by the engineers,

architects and interior designers; describing
exactly what is to be built where.
WHICH CONTRACT DOES ‘CONTRACT DOCUMENTS’ REFER TO?
• The contract between the builder (aka the contractor) and the
client (aka the owner)
• NOT the contract between the interior designer and the
client. Yes there is such a contract, but no, that’s not the one
‘contract documents refers to.
Bidding conditions
• Bidding conditions are issued before a project is put out for
tender. They are the rules and requirements of who can bid
on the project, when the bids are due, and seek to prevent
collusion, price-fixing and other less honest business practices
that could result in increased or unreliable construction costs.
• Bidding conditions and full tender processes are usually not
used for small projects.
The project MANUAL contains:
• The bidding conditions
• The Contract
• the contract conditions
• The specifications
• The drawings do not go into the project manual.
• The project ‘binder’ kept by the designer may contain

drsawings and other information-it is not the officially issued
project manual.
Change orders are legal documents issued by the designer when
a specification or drawing needs to be changed at any point after
the tender documents have been issued. Any change that will
affect the cost or the timing of the project must have a change
order.
Addendums are legal documents issued by the designer which
ADD, but do not change more information to the contract
documents after they have been issued. For example the
specific paint colours might be issued as an addendum provided
the type of paint and the number of different colours was
already specified.
Modifications to the contract refer to changes made in the
contract between the client and the contractor. They can change
the context we work in and who we communicate with.
The phases of interior design services are:
• Programming/predesign-research, programming, context

• Schematics-basic planning and the big gestures
• Design development –refinement of all design drawings
• Contract documents/documentation-creating specifications
and adding technical details and construction information to
the drawings
• Contract administration-approving bids, site visits, trouble
shooting, inspecting work, preparing punch lists, approving
submittals…
• Depending on the project and the scope of services the
interior designer may or may not be involved in:
• Preparing bid documents
• Evaluating bids
• Approving payments to the contractor
The following 5 slides are one firm’s description
of their services through the phases
• PREDESIGN
Pre-design services are the foundation to all other
design services. Analysis of the built environment
and its relationship to organizing performance is
fundamental to facilities planning. Gathering
information about goals, objectives, limitations and
operating procedures provides an understanding
of organizational needs and establishes the general
character, quality and parameters of the project
• Strategic Facilities Planning
• Programming
• Project Analysis
• PRELIMINARY DESIGN
Preliminary design services graphically
represent the information gathered,
determines space, operations adjacencies
and design criteria. Cost identification
guides the design process by establishing
known limitations early in the project.
Documentation and evaluation of existing
elements provide asset management
information while standards' programs
define a set of relationships between
the organized structure, users and
the function of the space.
• Space Planning
• Conceptual Design
• Budget/Cost Analysis
• Inventory Control
• Standards Programs
• PRE-LEASING AND
SQUARE FOOT MANAGEMENT
Pre-leasing and square footage management
services are the basis from which the Landlord
or Owner of a building manages their asset.
Documentation is created in electronic format to
provide the Owner with a tool to operate and
lease the building efficiently. A catalog of
building attributes is prepared to enable the
Owner to market the building effectively.
• Core Plan
• Square Footage Analysis (BOMA 1996 & 2010)
• Mutli Tenant/Full Floor Marketing Plans
• Tenant Roster/Lease Expiration
• Stacking Plan
• DESIGN DEVELOPMENT/
CONTRACT DOCUMENTS
Design development/contract documents services
determine, develop and complete the construction,
furniture and finish documents. Computer assisted
drawings are developed together with clear readable
specifications, to produce a contractor-friendly set of
working drawings that complete the project within-budget
and on-time. Decorative services provide and establish
aesthetic and practical use of finish materials, art and
accessories, thereby adding continuity to the project.
• Construction Documents
• Furniture/Finish Documents
• Specifications
• Decorative Services
• CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION
Contract administration services include construction and
installation oversight.
• Preparing a bidding package for the selection of the appropriate
contractors and acting as a liason between the building
department, government agencies, consultants and contractors
ensures a smooth beginning to construction.
• The review of contractors submittals and interpretation of the
contract documents, provides a well coordinated construction
process.
• Monitoring the building process, preparing field reports and project
inspections prior to move-in completes the project with quality
assurance.
• Building Department Liason
• Bidding Documents
• Field Observation
• Punch List
• Notice this firm is describing an ongoing task-not the final phase!
We have just reviewed the context of the contract documents.
This course will focus on the drawings and specifications portion
of the documents prepared by interior designers.
The drawings
We create drawings during all phases of the process.
During programming and schematics we produce
Design drawings
• bubble diagrams
• concept sketches,
• various preliminary plans and elevations and
• perspectives
• Their purpose is to explore and communicate our design.
• These drawings are for ourselves and our clients.
The permit set
• Once the design has been approved we prepare a specific set
of drawings for permit submittal-these are for the AHJ (the
city, fire and health departments). They have all the code
related information, but not all the finish specifications and
details.
• This set of drawings is called the permit set.
• The permit drawings will also include sheets from the
engineers and other consultants the interior designer has
cross checked and collated into a single package for
submission to City hall.
The contract documents set
• During design development we are adding detail and refining
decisions and do more developed plans, elevations and details and
begin producing detail drawings and gathering the specifications.
As we flesh out the design we are already working on the drawings
that will become the Contract documents.
• During contract documentation we take the drawings the client has
approved and add the technical notes, details, dimensions and
instructions the contractor need to build the project.
• These drawings are for the contractor. They must use industry
standard terms, hatch codes and conventions and be cross
referenced to the specifications.
• Elevations and sections and orthographics are required to replace
perspectives. These drawings are less intuitive to look at and are
meant to be read by skilled trades, not the client.
• This set of drawings becomes a legally binding part of the contract
between the owner/client and the contractor.
We create drawings during all phases of the process.
• During programming and schematics we produce bubble diagrams,
concept sketches, various preliminary plans and elevations and
perspectives to explore and communicate our design. These
drawings are for ourselves and our clients.
• Once the design has been approved we prepare a specific set of
drawings for permit submittal-these are for the AHJ (the city, fire
and health departments). They have all the code related
information, but not all the finish specifications and details.
• During design development we are adding detail and refining
decisions and do more developed plans, elevations and details and
begin producing detail drawings and gathering the specifications
• During contract documentation We take the drawings the client has
approved and add the technical notes, details, dimensions and
instructions the contractor need to build the project. These
drawings are for the contractor. They must use industry standard
terms, hatch codes and conventions and be cross referenced to the
specifications. Elevations and sections and orthographics are
required to replace perspectives. These drawings are less intuitive
to look at and are meant to be read by skilled trades, not the client.
The specifications
• Specifications are written documents describing in minute detail
what is to be used and how it must be installed.
• If we choose Shaw carpet number 123abc in ‘ocean blue’, we have
‘selected’ the carpet, which is not the same as providing a full
specification. This information goes in the drawings on a schedule
• A full specification contains every last detail of how a product is to
be stored and installed, what standards it meets and whether and
how we will consider substitute products. This information is cross
referenced to the drawings and goes in the project manual.
• Specifications MUST be organized according to the Master Series
divisions. No other filing systems are acceptable. Misfiling
information can undermine the contract.
• You would be well advised to organize your digital files of product
information for each project by division number and name and get
it right as you go.

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CONTRACT DOCUMENTS

WHAT ARE CONTRACT DOCUMENTS?

The contract conditions. A legally binding part of

The specifications. Prepared by the engineers,

The drawings. Prepared by the engineers,

• The drawings do not go into the project manual.

• The project ‘binder’ kept by the designer may contain

• Programming/predesign-research, programming, context

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