During the preparation of the construction documents, it was noted that the survey inaccurately located the property line. Consequently, the parking…

According to standard contractual agreements, such as the AIA B101, the owner is responsible for furnishing essential project information, including surveys. The architect is entitled to rely on the accuracy and completeness of the information provided by the owner. When this information proves to be inaccurate, as with the incorrect property line, the resulting redesign work constitutes an additional service. Therefore, the owner is contractually responsible for compensating the architect for the additional costs and delays incurred. The owner may have a separate claim against the surveyor for their error, but the owner's obligation to the architect remains.

B. Architect: The architect is not responsible for verifying the accuracy of owner-provided surveys; they are entitled to rely on them as a basis for design.

C. Surveyor: The architect typically has no direct contractual relationship with the surveyor, so they cannot claim costs directly from the surveyor. The surveyor's liability is to their client, the owner.

D. Civil Engineer: As with the surveyor, the architect has no direct contract with the civil engineer for the survey, making a direct claim for costs inappropriate.

1. AIA Document B101™–2017, Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect.

Article 5, Owner’s Responsibilities, § 5.4: "The Owner shall furnish surveys to describe physical characteristics, legal limitations and utility locations for the site of the Project, and a written legal description of the site. The surveys and legal information shall include, as applicable, grades and lines of streets, alleys, pavements and adjoining property and structures..."

Article 5, Owner’s Responsibilities, § 5.8: "The Architect shall be entitled to rely on the accuracy and completeness of services and information furnished by the Owner."

Article 4, Additional Services, § 4.1: This article outlines conditions under which an architect is compensated for services not included in the basic scope, which would include redesign necessitated by inaccurate owner-provided information.

2. Demkin, J. A. (Ed.). (2013). The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice (15th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Chapter 9.2, "Owner's Responsibilities" (p. 650): This section details the owner's contractual obligation to provide site information, including surveys. It reinforces that the architect relies on this information, and if it is faulty, the owner is responsible to the architect for the consequences, which may include additional service fees and schedule adjustments.

3. Harvard University Graduate School of Design. (Courseware). Professional Practice.

Course materials on professional practice and contracts consistently emphasize the division of responsibilities outlined in AIA documents. Lectures explain that the owner bears the risk for the accuracy of information they provide, such as geotechnical reports and land surveys, and the architect's reliance on this information is a foundational principle of the service agreement.