The federal government has proposed to eliminate contingency fees from the defense budget as a gimmick to show a cut in the overall budget. Without contingency funds, the safety, quality, and even completion of construction projects is in question. Construction projects are not cookie-cutter designs and often involve many complex change orders requested by the government.
Geotechnical issues vary from project to project.
These variations can occur in similar projects less than 100 yards from each other. Ignoring the varying soil conditions or even weather conditions can jeopardize the safety and stability of a project. Projects that cannot adjust to the varying scope, design issues, and other changes due to the lack of contingency funding will not achieve the quality of construction our nation's defenders require to accomplish any given mission. Zero percent contingencies will eliminate waste in the federal budget. In congressional testimony, the Defense Department stated its concern regarding the elimination of contingency funds.