To complete and download a document from the AIA Contract Documents library, you create a free account at aiacontracts.com, buy a license that covers the forms you need, open the right template in the ACD5 platform, fill in the gray chevron fields with your project information, run the Variance Checker on any edits to the standard language, and then click Generate Final to produce a locked PDF you can download, print, and sign.
Here is what each of those steps actually involves.
Set Up an Account and Buy a License
Go to aiacontracts.com and click “Sign In / Sign Up” in the upper-right corner, then choose “Sign Up.” Enter your email, retrieve the verification code the site sends you, confirm it, and create a password. A confirmation email arrives once the account is active, and you can then browse the library and purchase a license.1AIA Contract Documents. Where to Login or Create an Account for aiacontracts.com
The license options break down into three main structures: a metered annual license that gives you a fixed number of document units per year, an unlimited annual license for a single user, and a multi-seat unlimited license for firms with more than one user or office.2American Institute of Architects San Francisco. Contract Documents AIA members get a 20-percent discount.3American Institute of Architects. Member Benefits If you only need one or two forms for a single project, the pay-per-document option avoids an annual commitment. Pricing changes periodically, so check the current rates on the site before you commit.
Find and Open the Right Template
Once your license is active, the Template Library tab shows every standard AIA document covered by your plan. The platform has two built-in tools to help you narrow down the right one. “Help Me Select an AIA Template” asks you about delivery method, party relationship, and payment basis, then filters the list. “Side by Side Comparison” lets you line up to three templates against each other to see where they differ. Every template also has a Preview button that opens the full AIA text as a read-only PDF, so you can read the standard language before you spend a document unit.4AIA Contract Documents. Beginner’s Guide to Using ACD5
To start drafting, create a new project, select the template you want, and configure it. The platform generates a draft that you can work on in the browser-based Online Editor or download as a Microsoft Word file for offline editing. Most agreements work either way; some G-Series administration forms require the Online Editor.
Fill in the Chevron Fields
Every standard AIA document has gray-shaded fields marked with chevron characters (« ») that show you where to type project-specific information. Those markers disappear automatically when you finalize the document.4AIA Contract Documents. Beginner’s Guide to Using ACD5 The A101 owner-contractor agreement is a good illustration of what the platform expects you to supply.
Parties, Project, and Dates
The opening fields ask for the full legal names, legal status (corporation, LLC, individual), and addresses of the owner, contractor, and architect, followed by the project name, physical location, and description. Use the exact names as they appear on each party’s organizational documents.5San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. AIA Document A101-2017 Sample
Section 3 asks how the date of commencement is set: the date of the agreement, a formal notice to proceed, or a specific calendar date. You then set the deadline for substantial completion, either as a number of calendar days from commencement or a fixed date.
Price and Payment
Section 4 covers the contract sum, alternates, allowances, and unit prices. If the parties want liquidated damages for late completion, the terms and daily rate go in Section 4.5; there is no standard figure, and the rate should reflect a reasonable estimate of the owner’s actual daily losses from delay. Section 5 handles the payment mechanics — how often the contractor submits an application for payment (the default period is one calendar month), the day of the month payments are due, the retainage percentage, and the interest rate on late payments.5San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. AIA Document A101-2017 Sample
Dispute Resolution and Termination
Section 6 asks you to designate an Initial Decision Maker (the architect by default, unless you name someone else) and to choose whether binding disputes go to arbitration, litigation, or another method. Leaving that choice blank defaults to whatever A201, the general conditions document that works alongside A101, provides. Section 7 sets the termination fee the owner pays if it cancels for convenience.
Enumeration of Contract Documents
The final section lists every document that forms part of the contract: drawings by number and date, specification sections, addenda, and any exhibits such as E203 for digital data protocols.6AIA Contract Documents. FAQs: E203-2013, Building Information Modeling and Digital Data Exhibit Cross-check this list against the actual project drawings and specifications before you finalize. A drawing or specification left off the list can create ambiguity about whether it’s binding.
Edit the Standard Language and Run the Variance Checker
AIA documents are balanced starting points, not finished contracts, and most projects need some editing beyond the chevron fields: supplementary conditions, insurance adjustments, modified payment terms. The platform lets you edit any text outside the gray input fields, and it tracks every change whether or not you have Track Changes turned on.
Before you finalize, run the Variance Checker. It compares your draft against the original AIA template and flags every addition, deletion, and modification. You can pick between two markup styles. The “Clean” format leaves the document body untouched and appends an Additions and Deletions Report at the end with page references. The “Comparative” format marks changes inline, with underlining for additions and strikethroughs for deletions.7AIA Contract Documents. Finalizing a Document and Understanding the Variance Checker in ACD5
You don’t have to finalize to generate a check. Clicking “Check Variances” in the Online Editor sidebar produces a checked draft as a PDF or Word file, which is what most parties circulate during negotiation. Counsel on both sides work from the Variance Checker output and go back and forth on modifications until the language is settled.
If your firm keeps making the same edits (a particular insurance endorsement, a different retainage provision, standard supplementary conditions), you can save those changes as a custom template. From the Templates tab, click “New Custom Template,” choose the standard AIA template to start from, name your version, and edit in the Online Editor. The template saves automatically and is available for future projects.8AIA Contract Documents. Creating a Custom Template
Generate the Final PDF and Download It
When the language is settled, generate the final version. In the Online Editor, click “Generate Final” from the sidebar, choose your variance markup format, and enter the name of the certification signatory if the form requires one. The platform produces a read-only PDF with the chevron markers removed and the Variance Checker report attached.7AIA Contract Documents. Finalizing a Document and Understanding the Variance Checker in ACD5
Draft documents carry a watermark until this step. Generating the final version removes the watermark and locks the document against further editing. Download the finalized PDF, print copies for each party’s signature, and distribute. The signed original is the official record of the agreement for the life of the project.
If You Need Changes After Signing
You don’t reopen the original agreement to make changes mid-project. That is what the G701 Change Order is for. It identifies the change order number, the parties, and the contract it modifies, describes the change, and recalculates the running contract sum (original sum, plus net prior change orders, plus this change order) along with the new substantial completion date. All three signature lines — architect, contractor, and owner — must be executed for the change order to take effect.9Connecticut Department of Administrative Services. AIA Document G701-2017 Change Order Payment during the project runs on the companion G702 Application and Certificate for Payment, which tracks the contract sum, approved change orders, work completed, retainage, and the amount currently due.
One last practical note on the workflow: the ACD5 platform supports multi-user collaboration, so you can share a draft with team members, attorneys, or the other party’s representatives and set editing versus comment-only permissions. You can also cap the review period so negotiations don’t drag.4AIA Contract Documents. Beginner’s Guide to Using ACD5 Between shared drafts, the Variance Checker, and the Generate Final step, the platform handles the full cycle from empty template to signed, downloaded PDF.