As you may know, the CAA has been working with Alberta Infrastructure on a number of issues.  The email from Alberta Infrastructure below is another example of changes being made as a result of the discussions that impact architects in Alberta.

Alberta Infrastructure has been working with the Alberta Construction Association on prompt pay issues. Payment delays have a significant effect on sub-contractors and suppliers (especially in the current economic environment) so our goal is to ensure that those subs are paid in an appropriate amount of time for the work that they complete.

 

To support timely payment, Alberta Infrastructure has committed to making progress payments to general contractors (on undisputed amounts) within 30 days. We have also made changes to our contracts and processes to encourage general contractors to make payments to their sub-contractors and suppliers within 10 days. Finally, we have introduced processes to allow for release of holdback funds once a portion of work is complete.

 

These changes (primarily to Section 00 73 80 and the associated statutory form) are available on Infrastructure’s Technical Resource Centre under Division 00 in the Basic Master Specification.

 

These changes have an implication for architects in Alberta: to ensure that Infrastructure meets its contractual payment obligations to the Contractor, the Consultant must issue the certificate of payment within 10 calendar days. This was discussed in our RAIC discussions, and we have added a new supplement condition to RAIC Document Six which reads as follows:

 

GC4  Certificate for Payment

 

Add GC4.3:

The issuance of the certificate for payment must be made to the Client within 10 calendar days of the contractor making an application for payment.

 

In addition, Alberta Infrastructure’s commitment to prompt pay is not exclusive to the construction community. We will continue to make payments to consultants on undisputed amounts on invoices within 30 days.

 

Jayne Jeneroux

Executive Director

Consulting Architects of Alberta