AIA Contract Documents: The History
In this year, the AIA Committee on the Uniform Contract created its first standard agreement.
1888
A201, the "backbone" document, sets forth these for the contract for construction.
General Conditions
Catina is this kind of platform — create, edit, share, and sign AIA Contract Documents in one place.
Contract documents platform
Every deal in a healthy pipeline should have one of these, dated and owned.
Next step
These three disciplines make up the "AEC" that ACD serves.
Architecture, engineering, and construction
Roughly this many documents make up the full AIA Contract Documents library.
300+ (over 300)
B101 is the standard form of agreement between the owner and this party.
Architect
Rather than starting from a blank page, users begin from these pre-built, editable starting points.
Templates
Building your own pipeline through your own outreach goes by this hyphenated name.
Self-gen
The project professional who designs the building and often administers the contract.
Architect
These three letters name the industry AIA Contract Documents have set the standard for since 1888.
AEC (architecture, engineering, construction)
The document series (letter) used for Owner–Contractor agreements like A101.
A-series
This capability lets parties execute a contract without printing anything.
Electronic signing / e-signature
The honest practice of working or closing stalled deals instead of keeping "happy ears."
Pipeline hygiene (keeping the pipeline honest)
The party who hires the architect and the contractor and ultimately pays for the project.
ACD's 300+ documents are maintained by this 35+ member committee of experts in design, construction, law, and insurance.
AIA Documents Committee
G702 and G703 are the go-to forms for this monthly contractor request.
Application (and Certificate) for Payment
Doing this to a document lets multiple project parties review the same current version.
Sharing / collaborating online
The steady rhythm of prospecting touches — first outreach, follow-ups, and a final break-up — goes by this name.
This document, issued when work is complete enough for its intended use, lets the owner occupy the space.
Certificate of Substantial Completion (substantial completion)
Before the 1888 standard agreement, construction contracts suffered from this — which is exactly what the Committee on the Uniform Contract set out to fix.
Standardization
This letter series covers agreements when neither party is the owner — e.g., architect and consultant.
C-series
Name the two newest Catina features Caitlin we highlighted today.
AI Assistant and New Editor
The act of removing a lead that's a poor fit — wrong need, no budget, or no real timeline — rather than letting it clog your pipeline.
Disqualifying
A formal, written change to the contract's scope, price, or schedule after signing.
Change order