Change Orders During the COVID-19 Pandemic — Managing Unexpected Construction Costs and Time Overruns

Elizabeth Charnowski and Carl Pebworth | Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath The COVID-19 pandemic has caused cost overruns and project delays that construction owners and contractors could have never imagined before 2020. These unanticipated circumstances can create contract application and interpretation challenges for the unwary construction partner. For example, even if a prime contract expressly… Continue reading Change Orders During the COVID-19 Pandemic — Managing Unexpected Construction Costs and Time Overruns

Extra Work Claim Waived for Not Following Change Request Procedures

Amandeep S. Kahlon | Buildsmart On May 29, 2020, in Constr. Drilling, Inc. v. Engineers Constr., Inc., the Vermont Supreme Court upheld a trial court’s judgment in favor of general contractor on an extra work payment dispute. The Supreme Court agreed with the trial court’s conclusion that the subcontractor had encountered a change in the work,… Continue reading Extra Work Claim Waived for Not Following Change Request Procedures

Connecticut Appellate Court Recognizes Cardinal Change Doctrine for the First Time

Niel Franzese | Construction Law Zone Changes are made to scopes of work on construction projects every day. In some cases, the contract party being asked to accept these changes is reluctant to do so, and views the changes to be so substantial as to result in a scope of work radically and materially different… Continue reading Connecticut Appellate Court Recognizes Cardinal Change Doctrine for the First Time

Why Change Orders Matter

Rhiannon K. Baker and Philip S. Bubb | Fredrikson & Byron I recently settled a dispute with a construction client where the absence of formal written change orders was an issue. The parties disagreed on what was compensable, but this disagreement could have potentially been avoided if they had adhered to written change orders. Most… Continue reading Why Change Orders Matter

Construction Change Order: Friend or Foe

George Nicholos | Vandeventer Black The dreaded Change Order or CO is almost unavoidable on most projects. COs commonly result because of things such as inaccurate specifications, ambiguous or inaccurate drawings, unforeseen conditions at a job site, issues with construction materials, faulty budgets or schedules, or additional requests or changes by an owner. CO logistics… Continue reading Construction Change Order: Friend or Foe