The Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC®) today released a new document: The 2020 edition of the EJCDC® E-520, Short Form Agreement Between Owner and Engineer for Professional Services.

EJCDC documents are the first choice, and most user-friendly, among standard documents for infrastructure and public works construction in the United States and are available to members of the National Society of Professional Engineers at a 50% discount.

The EJCDC® E‑520 2020 edition is a compact and functional form which incorporates relevant updates consistent with the content of EJCDC® E‑500, Agreement Between Owner and Engineer for Professional Services (2020), EJCDC’s flagship longform professional services agreement.

NSPE has created an on-demand webinar to help explain the contents of the E-500, E-520, and E-570 standard documents, their recommended usage, and relationship to prior editions. It is free to NSPE members.

The E-520 edition has been re-organized by sections to make it more user-friendly. As with other recently published EJCDC standard documents, the new Short Form is prefaced by an introductory “Guidelines for Use” section. The new, detailed Guidelines for Use include an examination of project characteristics that make the use of the Short Form suitable; a list of examples of typical uses of the Short Form; and a table showing the substantial differences between the Short Form and E-500.

This concise document contains several basic provisions: Basic Agreement; Payment Procedures; Additional Services; Termination; Controlling Law; Successors, Assigns, and Beneficiaries; General Considerations; and four Method of Payment options to best suit your needs.

E-520 (2020) has been re-organized by sections to more closely parallel the order of presentation used in E-500 (2020). It also assists users who want to directly compare the two documents to determine which is most appropriate for the specific project, and allows for easier supplementation of E-520 with select provisions from E-500, when such customization is deemed appropriate.

Other features of E‑520 2020:

• More substance regarding Owner’s responsibilities
• Clarifies Engineer’s rights in response to non-payment by Owner
• A standard provision for reimbursable expenses
• Updates the Termination section to match recent clarifications in E‑500
• Updates definitions and terminology to follow E‑500 and the EJCDC Construction Series
• Uses standardized 2020 EJCDC format for signature blocks
• Easier supplementation of E‑520 with select provisions from E‑500, when such customization is deemed appropriate

Since 1975, EJCDC has developed and updated fair and objective standard documents that represent the latest and best thinking in contractual relations for engineering design and construction projects. EJCDC documents are prepared by a committee of project stakeholders that include owners, contractors, funding entities, attorneys, professional liability insurers, and sureties. EJCDC documents represent and distribute risk fairly and equitably among all parties to engineer-led construction projects.

EJCDC documents are specifically written for public and private infrastructure and engineered facilities projects in the United States. The documents can readily be customized to suit each project's unique goals and regulatory requirements. Downloaded in MSWord format, EJCDC documents are easily modified to conform to the unique goals and regulatory requirements of each project. EJCDC documents are the first choice, and most user friendly, among standard documents for infrastructure and public works construction in the United States.

The Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC®) is a joint venture of major organizations of professional engineers:

• the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE);
• the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE); and
• the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).

Purchase EJCDC documents online at nspe.org/ejcdc