Every project comes with a list of documents that need to be followed. These documents tell everything from the requirements of the project to the agreement between the client and the contractor. For a project to be successful, a contractor needs to follow these documents closely. The documents are also a point of reference for both the client and the contractor when something goes wrong or goes out of plan.
Construction documents have everything from the design of a project to the closeout phase of the project. They are written by different people, including lawyers, and architects, and contractors but they need to be executed by the contractor. Engineers, architects, and clients only have the documents for reference. A contractor needs to have a construction documents checklist to ensure they have every required document. Read on to learn more.
Construction Documents Checklist: What Is Included?
Building Plans
Building plans tell a contractor how the project should look when complete. They may be simple renderings of an artist in one or two pages, or they may take up several hundred pages. On the building plans, the contractor will see land diagrams accompanied by renderings of the front, rear, and side elevations of the project. They may also carry detailed floor plans showing the contractor where to place different elements in the building. The contractor also sees the where to put which interior or interior finishes.
Building plans might change at one point or another during a remodeling or building project. Changes resulting from a builder’s or designer’s preference or due to alterations in permitting requirements or city ordinances. When there are changes to the building plans, new amended building plans are designed and kept as an official record. If you are wondering what is included in construction documents, note that it is a plan of work that a contractor needs to execute.
Schematics
Schematics show illustrations and coordinates that help a contractor locate underground sewer systems and plumbing features. They will also show notations on where to place electrical and mechanical systems in a building. The contractor will also see areas in the building site that are susceptible to soil erosion or areas that have drainage issues. They do not just show areas that are susceptible to problems but also detailed procedures on how to resolve the problems.
A contractor needs schematics before they start a project to determine the direction the project will take. At this point, the contractor might suggest amendments to the building plans to accommodate some issues shown on the schematics.
Punch List
A punch list is required at different stages of a project. When different phases of a project are complete, the contractor needs to evaluate the success of the phase and check whether the completed part of the project is according to the contract. In short, a bunch list is like a construction checklist that checks whether the project is ready for the end-user.
If, for instance, the ground floor of a building is completely done, the contractor takes a tour of the ground floor noting all areas that are not yet complete or areas that are not done according to the plan. The list of areas not complete and areas complete forms a punch list.
Contractors can create a punch list as they tour the completed part of a project or they can come with a ready checklist from another project as s checklist. The punch list will list elements of the building include doors and windows, HVAC systems, inbuilt systems, roofs, and many more. The punch list can have more than 500 items. You can read more on punch lists on Procore.
Materials List
The material list, also called spec book, is a list showing all the materials needed for a project and the suggested methods for carrying out the project. In job sites, the material list is casually referred to as the manual book. Copies of these documents are made and submitted to vendors, construction site foreman, and other contractors as needed.
Of all types of construction documents, the spec book is the one that can come from any of the stakeholders involved in the construction. It might be a result of the site owner’s personal preferences, the calculations of the engineer, or the vision of the project architect. Contractors will use the spec book to procure building materials before the project starts.
Contract Forms
In the construction documents checklist, the contractor needs to ensure that they have the contract documents. These are documents that show the owner-contractor agreement. It is a binding document that is always referenced when something in the project goes wrong. Again, contract forms will be used in court in case there are conflicts between the contractor and the client. Bidding requirements are not part of the contract documents. Besides the owner-contractor agreement, the contract documents contain general and supplementary contract conditions, specs of the project, contract drawings, and any modifications to the plans.
Bidding Requirements
Bidding requirements are conditions that a contractor must meet to apply to be awarded a contract. The document helps the owner of the plot to award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder. It is not part of the architectural construction documents checklist because the contractor will not use it to monitor or evaluate a project, but it shows a contract was awarded the right way.
Types of Construction Documents: Conclusion
What is included in construction documents? Construction documents are every document from the bidding stage to the closeout stage in a construction project. A contractor who has been working for many years does not need a construction documents checklist as they know exactly which document they need and when. However, it is still advisable to create an architectural construction documents checklist to ensure you have everything you need.
