Guides
Construction contract guides
Plain-English guides to the clauses that decide whether a construction contract makes or loses money for the general contractor: what the language does, the red flags, what to negotiate, and the statutes, cases and AIA sections behind each point.
Updated · General information, not legal advice
Construction contract review checklist for general contractors
What to check, the red flags and what to ask for across seven areas, from structure and risk allocation to payment terms and site conditions.
Read the guide → 02 · PaymentPay-if-paid vs. pay-when-paid clauses
How the two clauses differ, where state law voids or limits pay-if-paid, and what to check on both sides of the payment chain.
Read the guide → 03 · NoticesNotice provisions: how contractors lose valid claims on a technicality
The deadlines, delivery rules and court decisions that turn a valid claim into a waived one, and how to negotiate the clause.
Read the guide → 04 · PaymentRetainage in construction contracts: what to check before you sign
How retainage works, where state law limits it, and the retainage terms to check before you sign.
Read the guide → 05 · DamagesNo-damages-for-delay clauses
What a no-damages-for-delay clause takes away when the owner delays the job, and how to limit it before you sign.
Read the guide → 06 · DamagesLiquidated damages in construction contracts
How liquidated damages clauses work, and the rate, trigger and cap terms worth negotiating.
Read the guide → 07 · Buying softwareHow to choose AI contract review software for construction
What to ask before you buy, and a sourced comparison of the AI contract-review tools contractors use today.
Read the guide →Every guide cites its sources and paraphrases AIA documents rather than reproducing them. None of it is legal advice: have a construction attorney licensed in your project's state review your contract.
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