Contract Documents

The National Building Code (2006) defines contract documents as including the following:

i. Contract drawings and specifications prepared by registered architects and registered engineers;

ii. Priced bill of quantities prepared by a registered quantity surveyor;

iii. Construction programme, project quality management plan, project health and safety plan prepared by a registered builder;

iv. Conditions of contract;

v. All risk insurance for the building works, personnel and equipment.

Contract Drawings:

The contract drawings include the architectural drawings, the structural/geotechnical engineering drawings and the building services engineering drawings. These drawings provide information regarding the arrangement of spaces, structural components, electrical and mechanical installations.

Specifications:

This amplifies the information given in the contract drawings and bill of quantities. It describes in details the work to be executed under the contract and the nature and quality of materials, components and workmanship.

Priced Bill of Quantities:

A priced Bill of Quantities is a Bill of Quantities that has its rate and amount column filled by a contractor. A Bill of Quantities consists of a schedule of items of work to be carried out under the contract with quantities entered against each item, prepared in accordance with the Standard Method of Measurement of Building Works (Seeley and Winfield, 2005)

Construction programme:

This is a document that is prepared in order that the project participants may have a thorough appreciation of the work involved, to allow the site production team to sort out its main constituent and decide how, in what order and at what time to do them; and to ensure adequate co-ordination of the labour, materials and machinery requirements (Bamisile, 2004)

Project Quality Management Plan:

The Project Quality Management Plan defines the various quality related activities and procedures which will be implemented on the project. It sets down requirements, gives guidelines, provides information and indicates to appropriate personnel, the procedures to be followed with respect to the Project Quality Management Plan. A sample outline of the Project Quality Management Plan is referred in the appendix.

Project Health and Safety Plan:

The Project Health and Safety Plan is a document developed to secure the health, safety and welfare of persons who will work or visit the site. It was also developed to control the emission of toxic substances into the atmosphere and control the keeping and use of substances that might be hazardous to health. An outline of the Project Health and Safety Plan is contained in the appendix.

Conditions of Contract:

The conditions of contract define the terms, under which the work is to be undertaken, the relationship between the client, architect and contractor, the duties of the architect and contractors, and the terms of payment (Seeley and Winfield, 2005)

All Risk Insurance:

This is a contract document that is developed and shows that all the personnel and equipment associated with a construction project has been insured against loss or damage. By insurance, all the risks associated with personnel and equipment in a construction project is transferred to a third party.

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