November 7, 2007—The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has updated its AIA Contract Documents, which have defined the contractual relationships in the design and construction industry for 120 years.
The AIA updates the A201 group on a ten year cycle to reflect changes in industry trends and practices.
Major changes include an update to A201, General Conditions of the Contract for Construction, because it forms the relationship between the owner, contractor and architect. Other areas of change include the following.
- Removal of Mandatory Arbitration
- Consolidation of Arbitrations
- Initial Decision Maker
- Statute of Limitations
- Right to Financial Information
AIA Contract Documents are available in paper form and electronically in AIA Contract Documents software. The software generates customizable, Microsoft Word files. The existing 1997 documents will continue to be available until May 31, 2009 to allow contracting parties to transition to the 2007 versions.
For more information, see the AIA Web site.
