Who is responsible for inspections of portions of the work already performed to determine if they are in proper condition to receive subsequent work?

• A. The owner.
• B. The architect.
• C. The contractor.
• D. A third-party inspector appointed by the owner.

Answer: (C)

The contractor is responsible for inspecting portions of the work that have already been completed to ensure they are in proper condition to receive the next stage. This reflects the contractor’s duty to manage means, methods, sequencing, and quality of the work, so each phase is ready for the following work without causing problems later. The architect mainly observes for conformance to the contract documents and issues approvals, not routinely performing readiness inspections of completed work. An owner-appointed third-party inspector can occur in some projects, but it isn’t the standard responsibility defined for the typical A201 contract framework. For example, the contractor must verify that a concrete slab has cured and is dry enough before flooring is installed, and that framing is ready and stable before the next trades begin.