Survey of SE Firms’ Contracts Practices

In preparation for a presentation on Contracts for Structural Engineers at the SEI Structures Congress last year, the presenters surveyed members of CASE to determine how they dealt with several contract issues that pose business risks to their firms. Topics included: dealing with onerous contracts, getting paid by architects even when a contract is in place, use of limitation of liability clauses, use of standardized CASE contracts, and who within a firm writes and negotiates contracts. The following are those results. …

Good contracts are an important part of any structural engineering firm’s practice. Having a good contract can make your projects run more efficiently and improve your firm’s profits; conversely, an inappropriate or poorly written contract could be disastrous for your firm. This article is the first in a series of articles from CASE to help structural engineers have more profitable businesses by using contracts effectively. …