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ARTICLE · 19 OCTOBER 2014

Contracts: architect liable for building cost blow out

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Use caution when relaying contractor information to clients.

AustraliaReal Estate and Construction
Hubert Wajszel
Hubert Wajszel
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Use caution when relaying contractor information to clients. Understanding between contractor, client and architect needs complete and accurate documentation to avoid serious legal fallout.

To help minimise the likelihood of a misunderstanding or future claim concerning documentation, architects need to be mindful that any information that could impact the client's decision needs to be relayed.

The recent Federal Court decision of Robinson v Kenny [2014] FCA 988 highlights the costly implications for an architect found to have failed to provide critical information including:

  • Failure to present full details of a quotation
  • Relayed 'unqualified information' that was relied on yet not verified

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