Through whom should communications regarding contract documents be routed between the owner and the contractor?

• A. Through the architect
• B. Directly between owner and contractor
• C. Through the owner's attorney
• D. Through the project manager

Answer: (A)

The Architect serves as the contract administrator and the communications link for contract documents in basic AIA practice. When the owner and contractor need to discuss or clarify contract documents, routing through the Architect keeps all interpretations, clarifications, and changes centralized, properly documented, and aligned with the contract. This prevents mixed or unauthorized instructions and ensures that any requests for information, changes, or clarifications go through a single, responsible party who is authorized to issue official instructions.

Directly between owner and contractor can lead to conflicting directions and undocumented changes; routing through the owner's attorney introduces unnecessary delay for routine contract matters; and while a project manager may handle coordination, the standard practice under AIA is that communications about the contract documents flow through the Architect, who administers the contract.