To complete AIA construction forms, you license the right templates through the AIA Contract Documents online platform (ACD5), gather the project information the fill points ask for, tailor the standard language with supplementary conditions where your project or state requires it, and then execute the primary agreement together with the A201 General Conditions it references. Once construction starts, you use the G-Series administrative forms to document changes, payments, and completion. The steps below walk through each stage in the order you’ll actually do them.
Identify the Agreements Your Project Needs
Before you open any template, decide which agreements the project actually requires. Out of the 300-plus documents AIA publishes, most conventionally bid projects use a small set.
The owner-contractor agreement depends on how you’re paying. The A101 is the standard agreement for a stipulated sum, a fixed price for the entire project subject only to change orders, and it’s the default choice on projects bid from completed construction documents. The A102 uses a cost-of-the-work-plus-fee model with a guaranteed maximum price, so the owner pays actual costs and a contractor’s fee up to an agreed ceiling and any overrun is the contractor’s problem. The A103 works like the A102 but without a GMP cap, shifting more financial risk to the owner. A fully developed set of drawings supports a stipulated sum; an incomplete design usually calls for a cost-plus arrangement.1AIA Contract Documents. A-Series: Owner/Contractor Agreements
Whichever A-Series agreement you pick, you pair it with the A201 General Conditions. The A201 is incorporated by reference into the owner-contractor, owner-architect, and contractor-subcontractor agreements in the Conventional (A201) family, creating a shared set of definitions, responsibilities, and procedures from the owner down through subcontractors so there are no gaps or overlaps between what each party’s separate agreement says. It covers the architect’s administration role during construction, payment procedures, changes in the work, insurance, dispute resolution, and termination. You almost never use an A-Series owner-contractor agreement without it.2AIA Contract Documents. A201-2017, General Conditions of the Contract for Construction
For the design side, the B101 is the standard owner-architect agreement. It organizes the architect’s basic services into five phases (schematic design, design development, construction documents, procurement, and construction-phase services), each with defined deliverables, and sets the architect’s compensation, reimbursable expenses, and schedule. On projects using the A201, the B101 is the companion that keeps the architect’s construction-phase obligations aligned with the general conditions governing the contractor.3AIA Contract Documents. All Current AIA Contract Documents by Series
Access the Templates Through ACD5
Every current AIA document is produced through the AIA Contract Documents online service at aiacontracts.com. Create an account, choose a licensing option, and build project-specific documents inside the platform. Two licensing paths are available:
- A single-use license lets you purchase an individual document for a one-time use on a single project. This option fits firms that handle only a few contracts per year.
- An unlimited annual subscription provides access to every current AIA document for a flat annual fee. The entry-level tier for one user seat starts at $2,419 per year, with volume pricing available for firms needing multiple seats.4AIA Contract Documents. Unlimited Subscription Seat Tiers
Editable Agreements vs. Locked Forms
Two draft formats exist inside the platform, and the difference matters when you start typing. Agreement drafts like the A101 or B101 download as Microsoft Word files where you can edit both the fill-point fields (shaded gray) and the surrounding standard text. That flexibility lets you and your attorney modify default language to fit the project. Form drafts, which include most G-Series administrative forms, lock the standard text and only allow you to complete the gray fill-point fields, keeping the form’s structure intact. The platform also lets you add team members to a project so collaborators can review and contribute to the draft before it goes out for signature.5AIA Contract Documents. Creating and Editing Draft Documents in ACD5
Gather the Information the Fill Points Require
The gray fields in every AIA agreement ask for the same core categories of information. Assemble this data before you open the template and the drafting session goes quickly.
- Party identification. Full legal names of the owner, contractor, and architect as registered with the applicable Secretary of State, along with principal business addresses. Getting names wrong can create enforcement problems later.
- Project description. The physical address of the site, a narrative description of the scope of work, and any reference to drawings or specifications that define the project’s boundaries. Vague scope descriptions are the single most common source of disputes over what the contractor is obligated to build.
- Compensation structure. Whether payment will be a stipulated sum (A101), cost-plus-fee with a GMP (A102), or cost-plus without a cap (A103). For stipulated-sum contracts, enter the fixed contract price. For cost-plus arrangements, define eligible cost categories, the fee amount or percentage, and, where applicable, the GMP.
- Timeline. The date of commencement of work and the date of substantial completion. Some agreements also call for interim milestone dates. These dates tie directly to liquidated damages provisions if the contractor runs late.
- Insurance requirements. Types and minimum limits of coverage the contractor must carry, typically commercial general liability, workers’ compensation, and, where applicable, professional liability or builder’s risk insurance.
- Retainage terms. The percentage of each progress payment the owner will withhold until substantial completion. Five percent is common on private projects, though state law or project-specific negotiations can change that figure.
Enter each value in the corresponding gray field of the draft. If a field doesn’t apply to your project, don’t leave it ambiguous; either delete the reference in a supplementary condition or write in “Not Applicable” so no one has to guess later.
Customize With Supplementary Conditions
The A201 is written as a nationally applicable document, which means it deliberately omits local requirements. Supplementary conditions are where you add project-specific and jurisdiction-specific terms without rewriting the general conditions themselves. AIA publishes a guide document, A503, that provides model language and commentary for drafting these modifications.6AIA Contract Documents. Guides to Amendments and Supplementary Conditions
Common topics addressed in supplementary conditions include prevailing wage requirements on public projects, state-specific lien notice obligations, environmental and stormwater compliance, local permitting procedures, and owner-mandated dispute resolution forums. The supplementary conditions operate by adding to, deleting from, or modifying specific sections of the A201, and each modification references the section number it changes. Because lenders and insurers are familiar with the A201’s standard language, keeping modifications surgical and well-documented avoids confusion during financing and claims.7AIA Contract Documents. Content Guides and Supplementary Conditions for AIA Contract Documents
Execute and Distribute the Signed Agreement
Once the agreement draft is finalized and reviewed by counsel for each party, execution is straightforward. The document can be signed electronically through platforms like DocuSign or printed for traditional ink signatures. Notarization is not required for AIA contracts to be enforceable, but some jurisdictions or lenders may request it for recording purposes. After all parties have signed, distribute fully executed copies to every stakeholder (owner, contractor, architect, surety, and lender) and retain both digital and physical originals. These signed documents become the governing instruments for the entire project and will be the first thing pulled in any insurance claim, payment dispute, or lien action.
Complete the G-Series Forms During Construction
Once construction starts, the G-Series forms handle the recurring paperwork that tracks progress, money, and changes. Three appear on nearly every project, and each has a specific workflow for filling it out.
G701: Change Order
The G701 is the formal record of any agreed-upon change to the contract sum, the guaranteed maximum price, or the contract time. Complete the description field with a detailed narrative of the change and enter both the dollar and schedule impact. All three parties (owner, contractor, and architect) must sign the form for the change to take effect.8AIA Contract Documents. G701: Construction Change Order Form Changes that haven’t yet been priced are handled initially through a construction change directive, which authorizes the work to proceed; a G701 is then executed once the cost and time adjustments are agreed upon.9American Institute of Architects. AIA Document G701 – 2017 Change Order
G702: Application and Certificate for Payment
The G702 is the contractor’s monthly payment request, and it doubles as the architect’s certification that the work described has been completed and the amount is due. The contractor fills in the value of work completed to date and materials stored on site, deducts retainage, and submits the form to the architect. The architect reviews and certifies the amount, and the owner then pays accordingly. A companion continuation sheet, the G703, breaks down the payment application line by line against the schedule of values, so most contractors complete the G703 first and carry its totals up to the G702.10AIA Contracts. G702-1992 Application and Certificate for Payment
G704: Certificate of Substantial Completion
The G704 records the date when the work, or a designated portion of it, is sufficiently complete that the owner can occupy and use it for its intended purpose. Issuing a G704 triggers several important consequences: the owner assumes responsibility for the property, warranty periods begin, and the release of retainage is initiated.11AIA Contract Documents. Substantial Completion vs. Final Completion: Key Construction Milestones When completing the form, attach the punch list of remaining items, enter the time allowed for the contractor to finish or correct that work, and identify which party is responsible for maintenance, utilities, and insurance going forward.12AIA Contract Documents. Instructions: G704-2017, Certificate of Substantial Completion Final payment to the contractor happens later, at final completion, after all punch-list work is finished and closeout documents are delivered.
Know the Dispute Sequence Built Into What You Signed
Completing an AIA contract locks you into a specific claims process, and a quick note about it belongs here because parties frequently miss it. Under Section 15.2 of the A201, claims between owner and contractor first go to an Initial Decision Maker (typically the architect, unless the parties designate someone else), then to mediation if the initial decision doesn’t resolve them, and only then to binding resolution. Arbitration under American Arbitration Association rules is the default, but the parties can check a box in the agreement to select litigation instead.13AIA Contract Documents. Resolving Owner-Contractor Disputes: Mediation, Arbitration Confirm that box is set the way you intend before you sign, because a party who files suit without first submitting the claim to the IDM and then to mediation usually sees the case dismissed on procedural grounds.