New Release of ConsensusDOCS Contracts Is Poised to Change the Construction Industry

ALBANY, NY (10/02/2007)(readMedia)-- The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and its New York State Building Chapter, the General Building Contractors of New York State (GBC), have announced that a diverse group of 20 construction associations representing designers, owners, contractors, subcontractors, and sureties will launch ConsensusDOCS™ a set of more than 70 collaboratively drafted construction contracts.

The release of ConsensusDOCS represents the first time that broad industry representation has had an equal voice in collaboratively drafting construction contracts. The unprecedented buy-in for these contracts reflects a genuine effort to identify and employ best practices to better the industry.

"The release of ConsensusDOCS is one of the most significant industry developments in the last 20 years," said Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer of the AGC. "We believe this effort will positively transform the industry's use of standard contract documents. AGC's leadership in building consensus with this incredibly diverse group is unprecedented and will improve the industry both today and for years to come."

"The key to these new documents is the collaboration of owners, designers, contractors, subcontractors and others in the industry to write a balanced set of documents," said Jeff Zogg, Executive Director of the GBC. "We believe public and private construction owners will find that these documents can set the tone for a successful project while protecting their legitimate interests."

ConsensusDOCS are unique because each document was drafted to reflect the project's best interests, rather than a single party's interest. These documents help parties to focus on better project results, rather than negotiating risk-shifting contract terms or worse, contract claims in court, to assess fault. There are more than 70 documents that address all project delivery methods, from design-bid-build through a new innovative collaborative agreement. These cutting-edge contracts and forms help address emerging issues such as electronic communications and building information modeling.

For more information, visit the ConsensusDOCS website at http://www.consensusdocs.org.