Which statement about suspension of work is correct under A201?

• A. The Owner can suspend for convenience with no time adjustments.
• B. The Owner can suspend for cause; the Contractor may suspend for cause or breach, with time adjustments and potential compensation.
• C. The Owner cannot suspend work once started.
• D. The Owner can suspend for cause; the Contractor may suspend for cause or breach, with time adjustments and potential entitlement to compensation for suspension.

Answer: (D)

Suspension of work in AIA A201 is about how pauses to the work are handled, including who can pause, why it can happen, and how time and money are adjusted as a result. The correct statement reflects that suspensions are not just a one-sided move; they involve both parties and come with adjustments to schedule and potential compensation.

The Owner can suspend for cause, and the Contractor can suspend for cause or in response to the Owner’s breach. When such suspensions occur, the contract provides for time adjustments and, in many cases, compensation to cover the costs and disruption caused by the suspension. This keeps the parties from bearing all risk of delays unilaterally and recognizes that stopping work or delays can affect both performance and cost.

The other options misstate how suspensions operate: one implies no time adjustments for convenience suspensions, which is not consistent with A201’s approach; another wrongly suggests the Owner cannot suspend once work has started; and another doesn’t correctly reflect the typical balance of suspension rights and remedies under the contract.