Arlington, Va.-based Associated General Contractors of America’s (AGC) board of directors unanimously voted not to endorse the American Institute of Architects' (AIA) A201 (2007 edition) General Terms and Conditions document. This marks the first time in 50 years that an edition of the document did not merit AGC's endorsement. AGC conducted extensive member outreach for more than three years through its chapters, committees, and divisions, as well as an owner-advisory group before reaching an endorsement decision. In particular, AGC chapters throughout the United States urged AGC not to endorse the document. "Our members believe that the A201 does not reflect the collaboration that is necessary for a successful project," says AGC CEO Stephen E. Sandherr.
AGC's members expressed deep concerns that the new edition does not fairly balance risk among all parties but instead significantly shifts risk to general contractors and other parties outside of the design profession. The membership also warned that the A201 did not positively serve the industry as a standard document. "Fundamentally, the A201 mandates a command-and-control approach that is in stark contrast to the more collaborative and innovative direction of our rapidly changing industry," adds Sandherr. "However, we hope to renew stronger collaborative efforts with AIA to develop documents the better serve the industry."
