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The Owner's Duties in Construction:

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The Owner's Duties in Construction, Continued

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POST-CONSTRUCTION PHASE

• Creation of "as built" records. The availability of a complete as built set of plans will be invaluable in the future for remodeling, additions, and repairs. They are also beneficial if the building is sold to another owner.

• Administration of the warranty program. Someone needs to oversee the warranty program after the building is finished.

• Obtain the certificate of occupancy and use permits. In most jurisdictions, the state or local government agencies require the owner to obtain, and periodically renew, permits to occupy and/or use the facility.

• Determination that everyone was paid. In order to keep the property free of liens after completion of the construction phase, the owner must insure himself that all subcontractors, consultants, and suppliers have been paid in full and have provided final lien releases.

• Facility operations and maintenance. In order to protect the investment made in the building, the owner must have a comprehensive operations and maintenance program.

CONCLUSION
It should be clear from the above lists that the owner has a significant number of varied responsibilities in the development of a building construction program. He cannot simply hire an architect and a constructor and walk away expecting them to take care of the project on their own. The owner's failure to discharge his construction responsibilities can have major consequences.

In conclusion, the performance of the owner during a construction project has as much effect on the success of the project as the performance of the architect and the constructor. Unfortunately, many owners do not understand their responsibilities and suffer the ultimate consequences. Owners who properly address their construction duties will enjoy the benefits of a successful project upon completion.

©2000 John A. Jones, PE, CBO

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John A. Jones, PE, CBO is President & CEO Dart Engineering and one of only a handful of individuals to concurrently hold three different professional licenses in Florida. He has current active licenses in engineering, general contracting and mechanical contracting, in addition to being a Certified Commercial Arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association. To read more about his Curriculum Vitae, click here.