Deliberate Words

What A Week! The Precedent Answered the Question

David Stutzman and Steve Gantner Season 2 Episode 29

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0:00 | 16:25

What happens when the drawings and specifications don't agree?

In this episode of What a Week, the team tackles a seemingly simple contract provision with potentially significant consequences: giving drawings precedence over written specifications. Using real project examples involving roofing assemblies and window requirements, Dave Stutzman, Steve Gantner, and Elias Saltz explore how an order-of-precedence clause can resolve a conflict in a way the design team or owner never intended. Instead of prompting an RFI, the contract may effectively answer the question for the contractor, potentially leaving specified performance requirements or materials behind. The discussion explains the importance of treating drawings and specifications as complementary documents, questioning precedence clauses when they appear, and protecting the design intent through better-coordinated contract documents.