Book excerpt: Understanding and Negotiating Construction Contracts The complexities of construction contracts are made easy with this thorough and readable guide Construction contracts can be complex for both owners and contractors. For contractors, negotiating fair and balanced commercial terms in contracts is just as important as properly managing projects; a properly negotiated contract can mitigate unnecessary risk and unnecessary risk transfer. This, in turn, reduces exposure to financial liability for the contractor and for avoidance of contract claims and disputes. Understanding and Negotiating Construction Contracts provides a comprehensive and readable introduction to the world of construction contracts. Providing, for example, coverage of the four most common types of contracts—lump sum/fixed-price, cost-plus, time-and-materials, and unit-pricing—it promises to reduce uncertainty and allow contractors to enter contractual negotiations with greater confidence to be able to achieve a fair and balanced contract. This updated new edition reflects the up-to-date best practices to understand how to better negotiate the commercial terms and conditions in construction contracts. Readers of the second edition of Understanding and Negotiating Construction Contracts will also find: Updated information on indemnity, insurance, and negotiation An all-new chapter with a contract analysis checklist Real-world examples drawn from small residential, retail, large commercial, and international projects Understanding and Negotiating Construction Contracts is essential for construction professionals and college students studying construction contracts and the liabilities arising out of them.