Responsibility in the Construction Industry

No member of the owner/design professional/constructor team knows all responsibilities or levels of risk assumed when entering into a design or construction contract. This article discusses the construction industry's need for better responsibility standards as well as back-up systems of responsibility. It also provides recommendations to promote teamwork in the design and construction of major projects. In the context of responsibility, the construction industry can be characterized as dangerous, litigious, and prone to design and construction errors. Responsibility assignments are often made in court, but industry organizations have made significant progress toward the development of consensus reasonability guidelines. This author suggests that the assignment of responsibilities recommended in these documents should be made mandatory. The author also suggests the need to revise the low bid contractor selection system by prequalifying bidders, adding quality issues to the bid evaluation process, considering the bidder's safety record, and using a partnering agreement.