Clearly Written Narratives for Framing Extras

            During construction of the sales models for multi-unit production housing the total dollar amount for carpentry framing extras, resulting from owner’s changes as well as corrections for architectural and structural engineering mistakes, can total in the thousands and tens of thousands of dollars depending upon the extent of these revisions.

            It simplifies the payment approval process in the field by the jobsite superintendent in terms of the recollection of past events, if each submittal for a framing extra to the contract contains a short narrative of exactly what the extra work entailed.

            This narrative should include the sales model unit or lot number, the reason for the extra work, who initiated the extra, the number of hours involved and the names of the framing carpenters doing the work, the hourly wage rate of these carpenters, and the cost of the materials.

            The jobsite superintendent or project manager can thus review and approve framing extras for the sales models, which can be numerous and extensive, without setting up two-hour meetings in the construction trailer with the framing contractor and their field foreman to verbally discuss the details and justification behind each individual extra each time a group of framing extras is submitted for payment.

            This narrative requirement should be included in the conditions for extras approval stated in the framing subcontract and verbally discussed upfront before the start of the work.

            It should be self-explanatory in its wording to enable the framing contractor to be able to meet this time-saving requirement for the builder. 

            If the field superintendent or project manager cannot understand the framing extra from the narrative, it should be returned to the framing contractor for more clarification.

            This general approach should be extended to all other subcontractors as well. 

            If extras are required to be submitted on standard change order forms supplied by the builder, this is an opportunity to state on the change order form the requirement for a detailed description of the extra work, in blank spaces labeling the information specifics required by the builder as briefly listed above, and any other required information that is project-specific and/or builder-specific.