It is virtually impossible for contract drawings to depict every detail of every component of a construction project. Drawing details flesh out some aspects of the work. Other details are left unaddressed until after contract award, to be described in shop drawing submittals prepared by the contractor and its subcontractors and fabricators.

In a case reported this week, contract drawings lacked any detailing of the diaphragms in the girders of a bridge structure. The contractor questioned this prior to bid submittal and was told the diaphragms would be detailed in a shop drawing prepared by the truss fabrication subcontractor. The contractor later claimed additional compensation for the diaphragms, contending that the lack of detail in the contract drawings prevented the contractor from pricing the components into its bid.

Other cases this week involve premature price disclosure by agency procurement officials and the mishandling of a settlement agreement by attorneys for a contractor and subcontractor. The price disclosure was improper but did not affect the standing of the competitors. And, the contractors learned the hard way that "the sins of the lawyer are visited upon the client."