AAV9-TRF1 GENE THERAPY DELAYS PHYSIOLOGICAL MOUSE AGING

Most roofing firms have standard contracts that are designed to help the roofer get through each job with few difficulties and maximum profit. These standard contracts allow space for the insertion of details pertinent to the individual job. Review the form at regular intervals to make sure that the language keeps pace with industry changes.

Any matter that is left unsettled by the contract is a potential law-suit. An accurately drafted roofing contract can reduce or eliminate lit-igation by providing, in advance, solutions to problems that might arise during the course of the roofing job.

Along with supplying solutions to problems, the contract should put in writing the understandings of all parties concerned with the roofing job (Fig. 2-5). Stipulate all items very carefully; this is a period when taking your time can make a big difference. A preliminary draft of the document should have been presented to the client before the preroofing conference. When the preliminary draft hits the conference table, all parties can voice their conflicting viewpoints and iron out acceptable solutions. Figure 2-6 lists some of the items that must be covered in the contract; use the version on the companion CD to slant it specifically for your firm.

Most contractors who work commercial jobs are familiar with the contract forms published by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). These forms are so widely used that in some instances contrac-tors may sign on the dotted line without reading the contract. A form such as AIA Document A101 (Standard Form of Agreement between Owner and Contractor) might appear to be a fairly straightforward four-page document. Article 1 of the form immediately states, how-ever, that contract Documents consist of this Agreement, the Condi-tions of the Contract (General, Supplementary, and other CondiCondi-tions), the Drawings, the Specifications, and all Addenda issued prior to, and all Modifications issued after, execution of this Agreement or repeated in it.

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F I G U R E 2 - 5 Writing real-world contracts.

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F I G U R E 2 - 6 Items to be included in the roofing contract.

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Exactly what work is to be done for the stated price What, if any, cleanup services and environmental issues are included in the contract price

Additional work and charges for reroofing

A statement that any changes to the contract must be made in writing, dated, and signed by all parties A statement that the roofing contractor is not responsi-ble for delays in completing the job due to circum-stances beyond the roofing contractor’s control, includ-ing but not limited to diverse weather, labor strikes, accidents, acts of God, site restrictions, etc.

Terms and conditions under which payment is to be received from the owner or general contractor

Proof of insurance carried by the owner or general con-tractor

A clear understanding of all coverage and liability issues in relation to insurance

Provision for adequate job specifications to the roofer from the owner or general contractor or their agents The provision of various utilities and accessibility to the jobsite by the owner and/or the general contractor Any penalties or interest to be assessed as a result of late payment

A complete understanding of how construction defects and consequential damages will be taken care of

Boiled down, this means that this simple four-page document has just become an unwieldy monster that could be as long as 40 pages, without drawings. Within the entire agreement, the roofing contractor might find language relating to issues of risk, liability, or warranty that changes the general or supplementary conditions. The end result can be the imposition of substantial liability on the roofer.

A simple one-sentence clause that stipulates that the roofer is to verify the accuracy of the architect’s plans and designs shifts responsi-bility for the plans from the architect to the roofing contractor. Another example is the common practice of requiring the contractor to provide the manufacturer’s guarantee for a specified period of time. Usually the language for this clause is broad and does not include the same limitations and exclusions contained in the manufacturer’s guarantee.

Conceivably, this can result in the contractor’s being held responsible for conditions from which the manufacturer has been exempted.

Before you bid on a job, it is imperative that you know the risks you are assuming. The following recommendations can help you make an informed business decision about whether or not to go forward with a particular project and the extent to which such factors should be reflected in the final bid price: Examine the documents carefully and note any unusual items that impose a greater burden on the roofing contractor than otherwise would be expected. Have an experienced construction attorney review the documents. The attorney should already be familiar with construction documents, so he or she should require less time to thoroughly examine the documents than a general practice attorney. Assist the construction attorney by highlighting the unusual items noted above. If, after consulting with the construction attorney, there are any areas of significant concern, be sure to raise these issues at the preroofing conference. These changes and clarifica-tions are important if it ultimately becomes necessary to defend your position in court.

However, always remember that a building project is a team effort, and the more you enlist all of the other players—the contractor, the roofer, the architect, the sheetmetal and siding companies—on your team, the better the job will go and the less likely it is that the dead time and financial drain of legal problems will arise. It is very impor-tant to remember this from the time the request to bid comes in and to

provide a very thorough list of questions for working through at all preconstruction meetings.

Scheduling

Another benefit of preroofing conferences is schedule coordination between trades. It is not efficient to move a trade into a construction area unless the workers can keep at their job. If they are held up wait-ing for another trade to finish, both time and money are lost. And, as all roofers know, if another sub like the framer omits part of its work—

for example, backing on a vertical wall—work is slowed and money is lost because of the downtime.

Scheduling of roofing can be done efficiently with software. For large firms with many big, ongoing projects such as subdivisions or massive condo clusters, a high-end package of critical path software may be needed. Remember, it is simple enough to punch out a begin-ning timeline of what needs to happen; what gets complicated is rescheduling. The software needs to be able to allow the scheduler to punch in changes as they come about and automatically adjust the entire schedule to take these changes into account.

For a closer look at the complicated uses of the critical path method, see McGraw-Hill’s CPM in Construction Management by James O’Brien (5th ed., 1999). For companies with more simple and less expensive software, see App. A and contact the vendors for review of the software.

Remember to use preroofing conferences to establish the amount of time each trade needs on the roof and the rate of advance. Naturally, any phase of the construction that requires cooperation of the trades, a projection through the roof, or any other complicated activity should be discussed in detail, prior to the actual roofing. This includes the placement of mechanicals on the roof, air vents, skylights, plumbing vents, ductwork, electrical intrusions, etc.