Mandatory Transition to 2007 AIA Contract Documents Set for May 31, 2009
The widely used construction industry contracts and forms produced by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) underwent major revisions with the release of the 2007 contract documents. The AIA documents are revised approximately once every 10 years, and the 2007 revisions relate to more than 40 revised, updated, or new documents including some new Owner/Architect agreements (B101, B102, B103, B104) and the traditional Owner/Contractor/Subcontractor agreements (A101, A102, A103, A107, A201, A401). Notwithstanding these updates, there are still many AIA contract documents which pre-date 2007 and can continue to be used (A101/CMa-1992, B141-1997, etc.).
While it is easier to use the older versions because of familiarity with the terms, effective May 31, 2009, AIA's proprietary software program will no longer allow users to modify or create forms using the revised 1997 contract documents. Users should prepare for the transition now by reviewing the 2007 contract documents and determining which provisions have been added or modified.
The current economic slowdown and the impending transition to the 2007 documents make this a good time to reevaluate and customize your construction and design contracts for future use. While the AIA documents are standardized for convenience, all owners, contractors and design professionals should ensure that their construction contract documents are modified to suit their particular needs and the contemplated transaction.
Post a comment:
Ask the Blogger
Do you have a topic that you would like discussed in a future blog article? Please let us know. If you have a confidential question regarding a blog article, please feel free to contact the article's author directly, or let us know if you would like for someone to contact you directly.
Attorney Spotlight
C. Michael Shull, III focuses his practice on construction law and litigation. Michael's client representations range from casinos and ENR Top 400 contractors to design firms and subcontractors.