BRC Academy / Contracts & Claims

Contracts

How owners use contracts to control risk, from Canada's standard forms to the clauses that decide disputes.

21 sessionsBeginner → IntermediateEach with a worked example, quiz and references
Start session 1All courses

Beginner Sessions 1–10

  1. 1Why the contract is the owner's #1 risk toolHow a construction contract allocates risk between owner and contractor, how CCDC 2-2020 splits common risks, and why owners must act before tender.
  2. 2Canada's standard forms: CCDC, CCA, OAA and RAICWho publishes Canada's standard construction and consulting contracts, which form governs each relationship, and why the editions must match.
  3. 3Delivery methods compared: DBB, CM, DB, PDB, IPD and P3Six construction delivery methods compared for Canadian owners: who designs, who builds, when the price is firm, and which CCDC form fits each.
  4. 4Pricing models: stipulated, unit, cost-plus, GMP, target costHow stipulated price, unit price, cost-plus, GMP and target cost contracts pay the contractor, who carries cost growth, and how owners choose.
  5. 5Anatomy of a CCDC contractThe parts of a CCDC contract, using CCDC 2-2020: Agreement, Definitions, General Conditions, Supplementary Conditions and order of priority.
  6. 6CCDC 2-2020 walkthrough: what changed from 2008A part-by-part walkthrough of what CCDC 2-2020 changed from the 2008 edition, and which owner Supplementary Conditions need rewriting as a result.
  7. 7Ready-for-Takeover vs Substantial PerformanceHow Ontario's Construction Act tests and publishes substantial performance, how CCDC 2-2020 Ready-for-Takeover differs, and what each one starts.
  8. 8CCDC 3 cost-plus: controlling the Cost of the WorkHow CCDC 3-2016 pays the Cost of the Work plus a fee, what is reimbursable, how the GMP and target options work, and the controls owners need.
  9. 9CCDC 4 unit price: quantities and remeasurementHow CCDC 4-2023 pays unit prices on measured quantities, how the 15% quantity variation rule in GC 6.7 works, and how owners control measurement.
  10. 10Writing Supplementary Conditions owners needHow owners write Supplementary Conditions for CCDC contracts: where each term belongs, the standard drafting format, statutory limits and a starter set.

Intermediate Sessions 11–21

  1. 11CCDC 5A-2025: CM for servicesHow CCDC 5A-2025 works: the construction manager as the owner's limited agent, trade contracts on CCDC 17, services by phase, payment and owner risks.
  2. 12CCDC 5B-2025: CM for services and constructionHow CCDC 5B-2025 makes the CM the builder: separate pre-construction services, cost-plus Work, GMP and stipulated price options, and owner controls.
  3. 13CCDC 17: trade contracts under a CMHow CCDC 17-2025 trade contracts work under a CCDC 5A construction manager: who signs, who administers, payment, holdback and Ready-for-Takeover.
  4. 14Termination for convenience in the 2025 CM formsThe owner's new right to terminate a CCDC 5A or 5B construction manager for convenience: triggers, break fees, lost profit, good faith and trades.
  5. 15Phase-based CM fees: pre-con, construction, postHow the 2025 CCDC 5A and 5B forms split the construction manager's fee into pre-construction, construction and post-construction phases.
  6. 16CCDC 14 & 15 (2026): design-build updatesWhat changed in CCDC 14-2026 and 15-2026, the first design-build updates since 2013: Ready-for-Takeover, Effective Date, owner design, design reuse.
  7. 17Progressive design-build: CCDC 32 & 33How CCDC 32-2026 progressive design-build works: project gates, Final Project Proposal, early work, off-ramps, and the CCDC 33 consultant contract.
  8. 18CCDC 30-2025: IPD and the Big RoomHow CCDC 30-2025 integrated project delivery works: one multi-party agreement, Validation, the Profit Pool, governance and the Big Room.
  9. 19Consultant agreements: OAA 600 and RAIC Document SixWhat owners should check in OAA 600-2021 and RAIC Document Six: services, fees, budget tolerance, liability, copyright, payment and termination.
  10. 20Subcontracts: CCA 1 and flow-down clausesHow CCA 1-2021 subcontracts flow CCDC 2-2020 terms down to trades, where flow-down breaks, and the Ontario prompt payment cascade.
  11. 21Insurance (CCDC 41) and bondingCCDC 41 insurance limits, CCDC 221 and 222 performance and labour and material payment bonds, and Ontario's mandatory public-sector bonding.
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