US Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING STRONG ® Keys to a Successful Construction Contract Matthew D. Lowe, PE Chief, Reserve Section Louisville District 25 January 2011

BUILDING STRONG ® 2 Discussion Topics (w/ a focus on Small Business)  Contractor Organization  Contractor Schedule  Partnering  Changes/Modifications  Miscellaneous  Questions (10-15 minutes)

BUILDING STRONG ® 3 Contractor Organization  Superintendent  Site Safety Health Officer ► Training – OSHA 30-hour  Quality Control Manager ► Training – CQM for Contractors ► Key position to keep projects on schedule ► AHA, Preparatory Meeting, Submittals, Deficiency List  Scheduler ► Complex…and it affects payment!

BUILDING STRONG ® 4 Contract Schedule  A whole specification section (Section 01320) ► Line Items, Bid Items, Features of Work, etc. ► Mandatory Milestones ► Limits on duration (e.g. only 2% with activities greater than 20 days) ► Cost Loaded…again, affects payment  Must be RMS/QCS compatible (SDEF) ► Resident Management System ► Quality Control System

BUILDING STRONG ® 5 Partnering  Embraced by the Louisville District  Shared Cost  Not a “one-time” meeting  Not a substitute for day-to-day communication  Does NOT replace/change the contract ► “In the spirit of partnering…”  If not in the contract, you can request it.

BUILDING STRONG ® 6 Changes/Modifications  Not a negative impression on the contractor  Changes must be documented by formal mod ► Trades, agreements, deals, etc. are NOT contractual  Protect yourself – notify changes in writing  Help yourself – provide a possible solution and state deadlines for responses  Show breakdown of cost for you and your subs

BUILDING STRONG ® 7 Miscellaneous  Design-Build ► Solid relationship between “design” and “construction” ► Get subs involved early  Construction Contract Admin Support System ► Request a copy of CCASS Evaluation ► Nothing wrong with asking for a interim review  We want you to succeed!

BUILDING STRONG ® 8 Questions? Matt Lowe