New Release Of Consensusdocs™ Contracts Is Poised To Change The Industry

AGC is proud to announce today that a diverse group of 20 construction associations representing designers, owners, contractors, subcontractors, and sureties will launch ConsensusDOCS with more than 70 collaboratively drafted construction contracts.

The release of ConsensusDOCS represents the first time that broad industry representation has had an equal voice in collaboratively drafting construction contracts. The unprecedented buy-in for these contracts reflects a genuine effort to identify and employ best practices to better the industry.

"The release of ConsensusDOCS is one of the most significant industry developments in the last 20 years," said Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer of the AGC. "We believe this effort will positively transform the industry's use of standard contract documents. AGC's leadership in building consensus with this incredibly diverse group is unprecedented and will improve the industry both today and for years to come."

ConsensusDOCS unique because each document was drafted to reflect the project's best interests, rather than a single party's interest. These documents help parties to focus on better project results, rather than negotiating risk-shifting contract terms or worse, contract claims in court, to assess fault.

Owner involvement was an integral part of the drafting process. "We are pleased to have supported and endorsed this valiant industry effort," noted Greg Sizemore, Executive Vice President of the Construction Users Roundtable (CURT). "For once the industry has come together in a truly collaborative way to create value for all the stakeholders." Industry owners were able to hear the concerns of all construction parties and this helped to better allocate risk to the most appropriate parties. Richard A. Foss, Executive Vice President of the National Association of the Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) remarked, "NASBP views ConsensusDOCS as a proactive, positive initiative to benefit the construction industry by fostering an equitable apportionment of risk among project participants through the development and publication of fair and balanced standardized form contracts."

"The best practices of the 2007 ConsensusDOCS establish a new 'gold standard' for defining contractual relationships in design and construction projects," said E. Colette Nelson, executive vice president of the American Subcontractors Association Inc. (ASA). "These documents encourage practices that are in the best interest of all parties to a project rather than merely reflecting existing unfair business practices and industry trends."

There are more than 70 documents that address all project delivery methods, from design-bid-build through a new innovative collaborative agreement (ConsensusDOCS 300). These cutting-edge contracts and forms help address emerging issues such as electronic communications and building information modeling (ConsensusDOCS 200.2).

"COAA is happy to be part of the industry collaboration which ultimately became ConsensusDOCS," added Jack Mumma, president of Construction Owners Association of America (COAA). "We recognize that when it comes to contract documents, there's no such thing as one size fits all."

"I am really anxious to see this collaborative effort produce an even-handed family of documents that all segments of the construction industry agree is balanced," commented Dudley Miles, past president of Associated Specialty Contractors, Inc., (ASC.)

Thomas J. Soles, Marketing Director at the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) said, "SMACNA is pleased to have been a partner in the development of the ConsensusDOCS during the past three years. We are particularly satisfied with the more favorable payment, indemnity and consequential damages clauses agreed to in the subcontract form, ConsensusDOCS 750."

For a complete list of the member organizations participating in ConsensusDOCS click here.

To visit the AGC contract documents page for more information click here.

You can purchase and download ConsensusDOCS via the AGC Bookstore if you click here.

Read comments from AGC of America regarding Consensusdocs.

Available in May 2009 - NEW ConsensusDOCS 752 Federal Subcontract

11 NEW ConsensusDOCS Contract Documents Coming - June 2009

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Jaynes Corporation

Kinney Agency

CNA

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Granite Re., Inc.

Westfield Insurance

Beaty Construction Company, Inc.