Among the most widely used standard form documents are the standard forms published by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the Engineering Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC), which are published jointly by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Associated General Contractors (AGC), and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).

 

Because these documents reflect prevailing customs, practice, and experience, design professionals should be aware of changes in these documents as they happen. For example, EJCDC E-500, Standard Agreement Between Owner and Engineer for Professional Services (2008 edition), was amended significantly to properly describe the engineer’s authority to reject the contractor’s defective work during the construction phase. The previous edition, E-500 (2002 edition), required the engineer to identify defective work during the construction phase and recommend that the owner reject defective work. This edition gives the engineer the authority to reject defective work directly, and clarifies the standards under which work would be deemed defective (EJCDC E-500 (2008 edition). Exhibit A , A1.05 A.8 Defective Work).