CHAPTER XXVII 



SPECIFICATIONS 



In all cases in which buildings are to be erected by contract, it is necessary 

 that the architect, or person responsible for the design and arrange- 

 ment of the buildings, should specify in writing every detail. The 

 resulting document is called the specification. 



A written specification is necessary because it is impossible to show 

 every detail of construction and arrangement on the drawings. 



Specification and drawings, then, are supplementary to each other ; 

 they should be considered simultaneously, and that which is not shown or 

 stated in the one should be found in the other, so that there may be no 

 doubt as to the intention of the designer. 



Both specification and drawings are signed by the contractor entrusted 

 with the work, and then form a lasting and binding agreement between 

 him and his employer. Any subsequent alterations, in either specification 

 or drawings, which may be mutually agreed to by the contractor and 

 his employer, should be initialled by the former in order to make them 

 binding. 



The contractor is supplied, free of charge, with one copy (usually 

 a blue-print) of all working drawings, and also with a copy of the 

 specification. Such detail drawings as are necessary for the execution 

 of any part of the work may be supplied subsequently, upon the timeous 

 request of the contractor. By " timeous request " is meant that the 

 request should be made a reasonable time before it is necessary to execute 

 the part of the work in question. 



Arrangements for paying the contractor for work completed can be 

 decided by agreement between contractor and architect or employer. As 

 a rule, certificates are issued from time to time by the architect certify- 

 ing that the contractor has satisfactorily carried out such and such work 

 up to date. The contractor is then entitled to receive payment of at 

 least a reasonable proportion of the amount due for such work. 



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