#### 552.236-71 Contractor Responsibilities.

As prescribed in 536.571, insert the following clause:

# Contractor Responsibilities (MAR 2019)

(a) The Contractor shall be responsible for compliance with applicable codes, standards and regulations pertaining to the health and safety of personnel during performance of the contract.

(b) Unless expressly stated otherwise in the contract, the Contractor shall be responsible for all means and methods employed in the performance of the contract.

(c) The Contractor shall immediately bring to the Contracting Officer's attention any hazardous materials or conditions not disclosed in the contract documents discovered by or made known to the Contractor during the performance of the contract.

(d) The Contractor shall be responsible for providing professional design services in connection with performance of the work or portions of the work only if this responsibility is expressly stated in the contract, and the contract documents provide the performance and design criteria that such services will be required to satisfy. In the performance of such work, the Contractor shall be responsible for retaining licensed design professionals, who shall sign and seal all drawings, calculations, specifications and other submittals that the licensed professional prepares. The Contractor shall be responsible for, and GSA shall be entitled to rely upon, the adequacy and completeness of all professional design services provided under the contract.

(e) Where installation of separate work components as shown in the contract will result in conflict or interference between such components or with existing conditions, including allowable tolerances, it is the Contractor's responsibility to bring such conflict or interference to the attention of the Contracting Officer and seek direction before fabrication, construction, or installation of any affected work. If the Contractor fabricates, constructs, or installs any work prior to receiving such direction, the Contractor shall be responsible for all cost and time incurred to resolve or mitigate such conflict or interference.

(f) Where drawings show work without specific routing, dimensions, locations, or position relative to other work or existing conditions, and such information is not specifically defined by reference to specifications or other information supplied in the contract, the Contractor is responsible for routing, dimensioning, and locating such work in coordination with other work or existing conditions in a manner consistent with contract requirements.

(g) It is not the Contractor's responsibility to ensure that the contract documents comply with applicable laws, statutes, building codes and regulations. If it comes to the attention of the Contractor that any of the contract documents do not comply with such requirements, the Contractor shall promptly notify the Contracting Officer in writing. If the Contractor performs any of the work prior to notifying and receiving direction from the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall assume full responsibility for correction of such work, and any fees or penalties that may be assessed for non-compliance.

(End of clause)

*Alternate I* (DEC 2022). As prescribed in 536.571(a), substitute the following paragraphs (d), (e), (f), and (g) for paragraphs (d), (e), (f), and (g) of the basic clause:

(d) The Contractor shall be responsible for providing professional design services unless this responsibility is expressly excluded from the contract. In the performance of such work, the Contractor shall be responsible for retaining licensed design professionals, who shall sign and seal all drawings, calculations, specifications and other submittals that the licensed professional prepares. The Contractor shall be responsible for, and GSA shall be entitled to rely upon, the adequacy and completeness of all professional design services provided under the contract.

(e) The Contractor's responsibilities include the responsibilities of the Architect-Engineer Contractor, as specified in FAR 52.236-23.

(f) The Contractor shall include in all subcontracts that require professional design services express terms establishing GSA as a third party beneficiary. No other person shall be deemed a third party beneficiary of the contract.

(g) The Contractor shall determine whether the information contained in the contract documents complies with applicable laws, statutes, building codes and regulations. If it comes to the attention of the Contractor that any of the contract documents do not comply with such requirements, the Contractor shall promptly notify the Contracting Officer in writing. If the Contractor performs any of the work prior to notifying and receiving direction from the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall assume full responsibility for correction of such work, and any fees or penalties that may be assessed for non-compliance.

*Alternate II* (JAN 2020). As prescribed in 536.571(b), delete paragraphs (d), (e), (f), and (g) of the basic clause, and insert paragraphs (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j) as follows:

(d) The Contractor shall be responsible for performing the design phase services in accordance with the statement of work. The Contractor shall submit all deliverables and reports in accordance with the statement of work.

(e) The Contractor shall be responsible to review all design information (e.g., draft specifications and drawings) provided. The Contractor shall be responsible for determining that the project as described in the design information is constructible using commercially practicable means and methods; that the construction work is described in the design documents with sufficient completeness to enable pricing of a complete project within the guaranteed maximum price; and that the manner of presentation and organization of information in the design documents enables accurate estimation of the cost of the work.

(f) Prior to establishment of the final estimated cost of work, the Contractor shall bring to the Contracting Officer's attention all instances that it has discovered or has been made aware of where design errors and omissions affect the Contractor's ability to accurately estimate the cost of the work.

(g) Where installation of separate work components as shown in the contract will result in conflict or interference between such components or with existing conditions, including allowable tolerances, it is the Contractor's responsibility to bring such conflict or interference to the attention of the Contracting Officer and seek direction before fabrication, construction, or installation of any affected work. If the Contractor fabricates, constructs, or installs any work prior to receiving such direction, the Contractor shall be responsible for all cost and time incurred to resolve or mitigate such conflict or interference.

(h) Where drawings show work without specific routing, dimensions, locations, or position relative to other work or existing conditions, and such information is not specifically defined by reference to specifications or other information supplied in the contract, the Contractor is responsible for routing, dimensioning, and locating such work in coordination with other work or existing conditions in a manner consistent with contract requirements.

(i) It is not the Contractor's responsibility to ensure that the contract documents comply with applicable laws, statutes, building codes and regulations. If it comes to the attention of the Contractor that any of the contract documents do not comply with such requirements, the Contractor shall promptly notify the Contracting Officer in writing. If the Contractor performs any of the work prior to notifying and receiving direction from the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall assume full responsibility for correction of such work, and any fees or penalties that may be assessed for non-compliance.

(j) The Contractor is responsible to construct the project in accordance with the drawings and specifications. The final Estimated Cost of the Construction Work (ECW) may be determined based upon incomplete design documents. In those instances in which the drawings and specifications are not complete at the time the final ECW is established, the Contractor shall exercise reasonable care and judgment to determine the intent of the design and shall calculate the final ECW on the basis of the quality of construction, materials, and finishes that can be reasonably inferred from the design documents or other specified sources.

[84 FR 3722, Feb. 13, 2019, as amended at 84 FR 69636, Dec. 19, 2019; 86 FR 55524, Oct. 6, 2021; 87 FR 76584, Dec. 15, 2022]