Project and Construction Administration
Project and Construction Administration
This domain tests how the landscape architect carries design intent through bidding, award, construction, and closeout. Expect questions on roles, construction documents, submittals, requests for information (RFIs), change orders, payment certification, site observation, and completion procedures.
Core rules
- Bidding documents include the invitation, instructions, bid form, conditions, drawings, and specifications. Addenda clarify before bid opening, and bidders acknowledge them.
- The contractor directs means and methods. The landscape architect reviews submittals for design conformance, not to approve safety or sequencing.
- Every submittal review gets a clear action: approved, approved as noted, revise and resubmit, or rejected.
- RFIs are logged and answered promptly. If an answer changes cost or time, document it through a change order or construction change directive.
- Pay applications follow the schedule of values and include retainage and lien waivers. Certification is based on observed progress, not a guarantee of every detail.
- Substantial completion starts warranties and punch-list work; final completion follows correction and closeout documents.
Worked example
A contractor proposes a cheaper paver and asks for approval. The landscape architect checks the specification, compares absorption, compressive strength, freeze-thaw durability, color, and dimensions, and requests test data. If the product is not equal, reject it and require the specified unit. If it is equal and saves money, issue a change order with a credit and updated schedule. The reasoning: a substitution is not approved by conversation; it must be evaluated against the basis of design and documented.
Traps
- Treating submittal review as approval of the contractor's means and methods.
- Issuing oral directions that later become disputed changes.
- Certifying payment without site observation or without matching the schedule of values.
- Confusing substantial completion with final completion and missing warranty or retainage triggers.