Cooke says knowledgeable contractors study the bid “If your specifications are wrong, or you have to issue documentation, and when they see the sloppiness, they change orders, or take remedial action, this results in know they can turn a “low bid” project into highly prof- more action on your time or the time of your staff. You itable work through effective change orders. are already paying for your mistake.” “They (the contractors) will go through it with a fine- “This results in longer site meetings and fighting over tooth comb to find things that aren't specified, or where interpretations of the specifications,” he said. The time things are specified that contradict the drawings. They wasted and extra costs means that the architectural or will use that in most contract specifications to override engineering practice ends up paying out far more than the drawings.” the savings achieved by rushing or inadequately prepar- “They (the contractors) will price according to spec, ing the initial specifications, regardless of the actual de- knowing that that is not the intent of the designer.” sign fee. Thurston agrees that change orders are a problem “If you have good specs, you should be able to oper- arising from incomplete or inaccu- ate within five to 10 per cent of an rate specifications, though he overage for change orders,” he said. doesn't suggest that contractors “When you go above that, you are are actually looking forward to going to have an impact on costs.” them. Cooke says the cost in time and “If my guys get really good money to send architects, engineers specs, they (offer) better pricing, and technologists for specifications and fewer change orders,” writing training is insignificant com- Thurston said. “We have trouble pared to the savings that can be with public owners who don't go achieved through clear specifications. that way, because they think 'low CSC, for example, offers courses bid' is the way to go.” that can be completed either on line He said, however, when New or in classroom settings, require a York State introduced a qualifica- modest amount of time and cost only tion-based design selection (QBS) a few hundred dollars to complete. process, it reduced its cost over- “The costs for this training would be runs. (The U.S. federal govern- recovered in a single project that ment, and several state and local doesn't go wrong,” he says. authorities, have for many years He says clear specifications mandated QBS through Brooks Act need to be combined with a system- provisions, which make it clear that atic inspection program to ensure the price should not be a primary con- specifications are observed through- sideration in selecting architects out the construction process. “You and engineers for public projects.) need to have someone on site hold- OGCA president Clive Thurston Thurston says if architects need ing the contractor accountable,” he to compete on price, with the low said. “You can't wait until the job is bid winning, “architects don't build finished for this inspection – you in enough visits to the site.” This leads to the change need to catch things when they are visible.” orders – where “contractors will hit you on anything not These site inspections could add some short-term specified. Owners then try to remove the change-order costs, but, Cooke says, will save money long-run, and risk by building risk-transfer provisions into their con- avoid the consequences of building systems failures tracts, denying contractors the right to be compensated after the work is finished. for legitimate change orders. Cooke says, conversely, general and trade contractors The result: Unmanageable contract documents that might benefit from CSC courses to understand the spec- deter contractors from bidding on the work, resulting in ifications process more clearly, and be better equipped significantly higher costs because of less competition to see discrepancies and potential change order oppor- and more stress (and completion risk) on the part of the tunities. contractors who accept the work under these circum- “There are far fewer structural engineers who take the stances. CSC courses, and mechanical and electrical engineers, Cooke says the problem with poor quality specifica- even less,” he said. 'There are more contractors who tions isn't entirely with owners not willing to pay for qual- take the courses than there are consultants – so contrac- ity. There are challenges within the design industry as tors know what to look for.” well. Many architectural and engineering practices are not For more information about CSC's certification “spending enough time on the specifications,” he said. program, see http://csc-dcc.ca/Certification. The Canadian Design and Construction Report — Summer 2014 – 7