Clear communication among contractor, owner, and architect is a key factor in the success of any building project. When creating a healthy home, there are many special project procedures that must be communicated with even greater clarity than in standard construction. The owners intentions and instructions for special procedures can be formally transmitted in the statement of intent, thus making them part of the construction contract.
Here is a sample of specifications language that succinctly states the owners wish to create a special project:
This house is being constructed as a healthy house. The following specifications outline special project procedures and acceptable building products. The products specified herein are intended to be as free of harmful chemicals as is presently possible and reasonably attainable. In using these products and following these procedures, we are safeguarding to the best of our ability the health of future inhabitants and of the workers involved in this construction. Our concern extends also to the workers involved in the manufacture of these products.
Building a healthy home can be a pioneering endeavor. Choosing the right architect and contractor is of paramount importance. Creativity, intelligence, common sense, and commitment to the ideals of healthy house building are essential qualities for each of the participants. At times you and your team will be experimenting with products that have not been on the market long enough to have a performance history or wide distribution. At other times you may find yourself participating in a revival of materials and techniques that were used successfully for centuries but have been replaced in standard construction by commercialized products containing harmful chemicals.
The contractor will need to allow more time for locating special materials, scheduling their use, and supervising their installation. You may encounter initial resistance from subcontractors who are reluctant to do things that are unfamiliar to them. Some of the healthier products might be harder to work with because they do not contain certain harmful additives that make application easier. For these reasons, the general contractor will need to supervise the project more closely than in standard construction.
During the construction of a healthy building, the owner may wish to hire subcontractors to carry out specific environmentally related testing, quality control inspections, procedures, or installations. Included in standard contracts from the American Institute for Architecture (AIA) is document A201, “General Conditions for Construction,” which acknowledges the owner s right to hire his or her own subcontractors. Careful coordination with the contractor is necessary, however, because any delays and expenses incurred by the contractor because of this work will be the responsibility of the owner. Some of the additional testing and inspections are described in Division 13. Other quality control procedures will be outlined where appropriate throughout the text. If you do not use a standard AIA contract, you may need to add language to your contract to outline the parameters for specialty subcontractors to be hired by the owners.
In summary, a healthy home can take more time and effort to build, which may be reflected in the contractors scheduling and pricing. Once committed to the project, however, the contractor is like the symphony conductor, who must lead all players to a successful performance regardless of the difficulty of the piece. You will wish to clearly state this expectation in your specification document. An example of such language follows:
• The contractor shall be responsible for obtaining all specified materials or approved substitutes and for performing all special project procedures within the contract time, as stated within the construction contract.
• The contractor shall be responsible for the general performance of the subcontractors and tradespeople and for any necessary training, specifically with regards to the special project procedures, materials, and prohibitions as outlined in these specifications.
