Missing details and conflicts in drawings are common. Handled poorly, they eat your margin.
In this article
Why it matters
No set of drawings is perfect. Conflicts between disciplines, missing dimensions and details that can't be built show up on every job. Contractors who spot them early and follow the contract get paid. Those who quietly fix them absorb the cost.
Spot them early
Constructability reviews and careful takeoff reveal problems before the field does.
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RFIs
Submit clear RFIs with proposed solutions.
Notice
Follow contract notice requirements for cost and time.
Change orders
Price the impact of the answer.
Contract language
Read how design risk is allocated.
Design-build
When you hold the design contract, the risk shifts to you and your designers.
Documentation
Photos, RFIs and correspondence tied to costs.
Know your numbers
Track RFIs, change orders from design issues and unrecovered costs.
A message to the architect
"Detail 5 on A-501 conflicts with the duct shown on M-201. We propose lowering the ceiling two inches in this corridor. Please confirm, as it affects cost and schedule."
Where to start
Add a design review step before buyout on every project.
Common mistakes
Fixing errors without notice, vague RFIs and missing contract deadlines.
Relationship with the designer
Raise issues professionally and early. Architects respond better to a contractor who brings solutions than to one who builds a claim file in silence.
Run tighter jobs and win the right ones.
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Frequently asked questions
Who pays for design errors in a construction project?
It depends on the contract and delivery method. In traditional design-bid-build, the owner usually bears design risk; in design-build, the contractor may carry more of it.