Contractor's Guide to Change Orders


Book Description

This second edition is the essential guide to handling the critical area of change orders for the construction industry. It shows contractors what they need to do when clients make changes in a building project. Comprehensive information about how to identify and assign costs to all added components, back up their prices, document their findings, negotiate and resolve change order disputes to their advantage, and much more. Valuable tips on finding attorneys and key consultants to help win in court when all else fails and dozens of ready-to-use tools--sample forms, word-for-word letters and checklists--to save contractors time and work are also included.







Construction Change Order Claims


Book Description

Construction Change Order Claims brings you up-to-date with the latest methods for determining value of work or all types of projects. Commonly encountered claim issues are covered in detail, including: Surety issues Evaluating changes resulting from ambiguous specifications or inadequate design Measuring the cost impact of delays Proving the price of damages This all-in-one resource guides you through every type and aspect of change claims, offering hands-on guidance and analysis from 25 experienced practitioners. Construction Change Order Claims helps you quickly answer difficult questions such as: Is a change order on a construction project an and“extraand”and—or is it included within the scope of the basic contract price? When does an ownerand’s unintentional interference cross the line between a mere impairment or hindrance to an alteration of the contractorand’s intended methods of performance? What specific circumstances support the use of the cardinal change doctrine? What circumstances must be present to employ the Percentage of Completion accounting method? Construction Change Order Claims delivers: Innovative defenses to avoid being bound by a release Guidance for anticipating contractor defenses, and for preparing opposing arguments Practical tips and accounting tools for evaluating progress and calculating payments Federal, state and local certification requirements for public and private projects And more!




Markup & Profit


Book Description

In order to succeed in a construction business you have to be able to mark up the price of your jobs to cover overhead expenses and make a decent profit. The problem is how much to mark it up. You don't want to lose jobs because you charge too much, and you don't want to work for free because you've charged too little. If you know how much to mark up you can apply it to your job costs and arrive at the right sales price for your work. This book gives you the background and the calculations necessary to easily figure the markup that is right for your business. Includes a CD-ROM with forms and checklists for your use.




Construction Project Management


Book Description

Construction Project Management offers some of the best project management studies commissioned by ELECTRI International: The Foundation for Electrical Construction that were selected, coordinated, and monitored by some of the most progressive contractors and performed by outstanding scholars from top U.S. universities. Topics include pre-construction planning, early warning signs of project distress, impact of change orders, project sequencing, ideal jobsite inventory levels, tool and material control systems, recommended safety practices, partnering, total quality management, quality assurance, performance evaluations, and contract risk management. All specialty and general contractors will find value in this practical book. The concepts presented will improve your understanding of the main issues affecting construction project management and will provide you with tools and strategies to enhance your company's productivity and profitability.




A Contractor's Guide to Planning, Scheduling, and Control


Book Description

A MUST-HAVE, PRACTICAL GUIDE THAT CONNECTS SCHEDULING AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT In A Contractor’s Guide to Planning, Scheduling, and Control, an experienced construction professional delivers a unique and effective approach to the planning and scheduling responsibilities of a construction project manager, superintendent, or jobsite scheduler. The author describes the complete scheduling cycle, from preconstruction and scheduling through controls and closeout, from the perspective of real-world general contractors and scheduling professionals. Filled with tools and strategies that actually help contractors build projects, and light on academic jargon and terminology that’s not used in the field, the book includes examples of real craft workers and subcontractors, like electricians, carpenters, and drywallers, to highlight the concepts discussed within. Finally, an extensive appendix rounds out the book with references to additional resources for the reader. This comprehensive guide includes: Thorough introductions to construction contracting, lean construction planning, subcontractor management, and more A comprehensive exploration of a commercial case study that’s considered in each chapter, connecting critical topics with a consistent through line End-of-chapter review questions and applied exercises Access to a companion website that includes additional resources and, for instructors, solutions, additional case studies, sample estimates, and sample schedules Perfect for upper-level undergraduate students in construction management and construction engineering programs, A Contractor’s Guide to Planning, Scheduling, and Control is also an irreplaceable reference for general contractors and construction project management professionals.




Construction Process Planning and Management


Book Description

By their very nature, construction projects can create seemingly endless opportunities for conflict. Written by a best selling author with over 40 years of experiences in the construction and general contracting business, Construction Process Planning and Management provides you with the necessary tools to save time and money on your construction project. In this book, Sid Levy provides valuable advice for avoiding or working through the common problems that are a result of the long-term nature of construction projects, failure to select a ?project delivery system? appropriate to the project, incomplete drawing and specifications, unrealistic scheduling, poor communication and coordination among participants, and inadequate contract administration. From project genesis, through design development to contractor and contract selection, on to construction oversight, punch list and successful project close-out, this book will point out those pitfalls to avoid and offer practical advice at every step along the way. Administer the general construction process including solicitation of contractor's qualifications (pre-qualify bidders), comparative analysis of bid packages, recommendation for contract award, contract document negotiation and documentation of job change orders Provide Project Planning and on-site management and coordination of all construction projects Ensure compliance of building construction rules and regulations and collaborate with chief engineers to monitor quality of construction Conduct technical/plan review of construction documents and submit written responses identifying required corrections or changes Design, implement and oversee Company standards for construction policies, practices and processes




Smith, Currie & Hancock's Federal Government Construction Contracts


Book Description

Federal Construction Law for Construction Professionals Any firm intent on benefitting from the boom in federal government construction contracts must navigate an increasingly complicated and demanding set of laws, regulations, and practices that govern these projects and the contractors performing them. To help guide you through this maze, here is the updated edition of the easy-to-understand guide to the practical reality of these special requirements, and how managers and owners of construction industry firms can use them to effectively avoid pitfalls on current projects and compete successfully for new projects. Smith, Currie & Hancock's Federal Government Construction Contracts, Second Edition walks the reader through actual federal contracts, highlights critical clauses, and simplifies governmental and legal jargon to provide ease of use by the nonlawyer. Updates to this Second Edition include: Coverage of the newly enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Specifics of federal government grants to state and local public construction contracts New insights on Design-Build, Early Contractor Involvement (ECI), BIM, Green Construction, and Web-based project management techniques used by the federal government A revised look at the increasingly detailed business ethics and compliance program requirements for contractors and subcontractors as mandated by the federal government for its contractors A unique Web site at www.wiley.com/go/federalconstructionlaw provides the user with a Table of Acronyms and Terms commonly found in federal government contracts, an extensive list of Web sites of interest to federal government construction contractors, checklists, sample forms, as well as specifications related to innovations in project delivery By making transparent the many rights, risks, and legal responsibilities involved in a federal government construction project, Smith, Currie & Hancock's Federal Government Construction Contracts, Second Edition provides construction industry professionals from general contractors, subcontractors, and designers to surety bond agents with the insight and understanding they need to avoid problems and run a successful project from start to finish.




Construction Contractors' Survival Guide


Book Description

The turnover rate for companies in the construction industry is high. This book identifies the ten key elements of contractor failure and shows how to avoid them. Each element of failure is defined, illustrated by real examples, and ways are discussed to avoid or minimize the risks involved. The final chapter shows how to bring all these elements together to develop a positive and workable management strategy. This survival guide should prove invaluable to the 1.4 million individual construction-industry businesses in this country.




Construction Operations Manual of Policies and Procedures


Book Description

Filled with procedures for successfully managing construction operations, this work features over 300 pages of methods, strategies and tactics, forms and ready-to-copy letters all laid out in a concise, easy-to-grasp style. Devoted to the design-build process, it also offers coverage of the advances in claims and dispute resolution.