January/February 2014

NSPE TODAY
Updated Contract Document Revises The Owner-Engineer Relationship

The Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee has released the 2014 edition of E-500, the Agreement Between Owner and Engineer for Professional Services.

The revision was coordinated with last year’s edition of the construction documents, the C-series. The document’s scope of services recognizes the engineer’s role in the new C-series change proposal process and also acknowledges limits on the engineer’s construction-phase role. For example, the engineer does not review disputes between the owner and contractor on nontechnical issues, such as insurance.

The revised document also:

• Introduces the concept of “constructor” as a broad, catchall term for everybody participating in construction at the site;
• Reflects new regulations by clarifying the engineer’s role in project planning and establishes a scope of work that does not include municipal financial advising; and
• Adds language allowing consideration of building information modeling, innovative design and contracting, sustainability, and other techniques in project development.

A joint organization of NSPE, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Council of Engineering Companies, EJCDC has been creating standard documents since 1975.

Visit www.nspe.org/ejcdc for more information on the 2014 edition of E-500 and the 2013 C-series.