What Every Engineer Should Know About Contracting

In addition to the technical aspects of engineering services, it is important to consider the legal issues that overlay each contractual relationship. Offering a practical perspective, What Every Engineer Should Know About Contracting provides a guide for drafting, negotiating, or administering contracts for the provision of engineering services in all disciplines. Including real-world case studies, chapter summaries, and examples of commonly used contractual provisions, this book outlines the dynamics that are common to all such relationships. Each chapter addresses a specific area that tends to create special problems and disputes between engineers, organizations, and attorneys.

The Common Contracting Challenges Facing All Engineers. The Engineer's Relationship with Lawyers and the Law. Toward the Development of a Set of Contracting Survival Skills for Engineers. Specifying the Work to Be Done. Specifying the Standards to Which the Work Will Be Performed. Specifying the Conditions Under Which You Will Work. Structuring Your Fee. Ensuring an Acceptable Schedule of Payments. Managing Change Orders and Schedule Disruptions. Planning for the Unthinkable: Disasters and Catastrophes. Handling Terminations and Other Endpoints in Contractual Relationships. Avoiding Problems with Intellectual Property and Trade Secrets. Protecting Yourself Against Unfair Competition. Building in Reasonable Protection Against Damages Claims. Selecting the Time, Place, and Manner for Resolving Disputes.