Useful Questions Template for Contracting Documents

Current at: 10 October 2010 (A)

Why develop this Technical Document Template?

The intent of the As-Built Learning Exchange (ABLE) Common Practice protocol is to resource work practices that deliver affordability, compliance and performance gains.

This template is only intended to promote thought and consideration of issues that could arise, and which contracting document is appropriate for their description.

ABLE does not provide legal advice or opinion. A legal practitioner should be consulted when making decisions about Contract clauses.

Where, when, and who can use this Technical Document Template?

Document templates can only be used in Western Australia and only apply for the Building Code of Australia Volume 2 for Class 1 and 10 Buildings (BCA).

Building Professionals are granted Open Exchange Rights to use this resource to learn about better ways to work. Open Exchange Rights do not extend to any other use (distribution, business etc) until an Exchange Agreement has been entered into with ABLE.

Users accept the Conditions of Use that apply to all ABLE material.

How should this Technical Document Template be used?

Adapt and Then Adopt – just like the “beware of the dog” sign on the gate, better technical descriptions need to be approached carefully – they too can bite if not approached properly!

Document templates are intended to be reviewed and adapted to suit business compliance and workmanship choices before being adopted.

Contract Precedence – the Contract has precedence over all other documents (specification, addenda, drawings etc) – but commonly used Contracts have differing provisions. ABLE recommends that users seek legal advice to ensure that the descriptions provided in Technical Document Templates do not contravene and/or are insufficient for use with the provisions of the Contract that is being used.

Specification Content – research undertaken when developing the Specification of Nominal Building Work suggested that the “Preliminaries” section in builder specifications often included descriptions that replicated and/or contradicted Contract provisions.

To ensure a clear distinction between Contract “terms of trade” descriptions and Specification “technical” descriptions is maintained, the Specification of Nominal Building Work does not contain a “Preliminaries” section.

Useful Questions Template – this is a list of issues that are not addressed in the Specification of Nominal Building Work. ABLE recommends that users review this list with their legal adviser to determine if any of the issues are relevant to the building work being undertaken, if relevant issues are addressed by the Contract being used and, if not, if Supplementary clauses are required.

What useful questions have been discovered?

Click the link below to download the pdf version document.

Building Professional Registration or Login Required

To download the file useful-questions-template-contracting-documents-10-october-2010.pdf you need to login to the As-Built Learning Exchange. If you are a Building Professional and you do not have login access, you will need to register.