According to ATA owner-architect agreements, who is responsible for the cost of evaluating significant substitutions proposed by the contractor…

According to the AIA B101™–2017 Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect, services related to evaluating substitutions proposed by the contractor are not part of the architect's basic services. Section 4.2.2.3 explicitly lists "providing services in connection with evaluating substitutions proposed by the Owner’s contractor and making subsequent revisions to Instruments of Service resulting therefrom" as an Additional Service. The owner is responsible for compensating the architect for any authorized Additional Services. Therefore, the owner bears the cost of the architect's time and effort to evaluate the proposed substitution and revise the necessary documentation.

B. Architect: The architect performs the evaluation, but this work is outside the scope of basic services and requires additional compensation from the owner, so the architect does not bear the cost.

C. Contractor: While the contractor initiates the substitution request, the owner-architect agreement stipulates that the owner pays the architect for the review. The owner may seek reimbursement from the contractor, but the primary responsibility for payment to the architect lies with the owner.

D. Originator: This term is not a contractually defined party responsible for payment in AIA agreements. The contractual obligation for payment of architectural services rests with the owner.

1. AIA Document B101™–2017, Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect. Article 4, Additional Services, Section 4.2.2.3. This section identifies evaluating contractor-proposed substitutions and making subsequent revisions as an Additional Service for which the architect is to be compensated by the owner.

2. The American Institute of Architects. (2014). The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice (15th ed.). Wiley. Chapter 9.4, "Owner-Architect Agreements," discusses the structure of AIA B101, clarifying the distinction between Basic Services (covered by the base fee) and Additional Services (which require extra compensation from the owner).

3. Demkin, J. A. (Ed.). (2008). The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice, Student Edition. Wiley. Chapter 12, "Project Execution," page 328. This text explains that when the contractor proposes a substitution, the architect's review and subsequent document revisions are typically considered additional services, making the owner responsible for the associated fees.