One thing that every contractor dreads to see on a project is scope creep. It’s a problem in any industry, but particularly so in construction, where one phase of a job must be completed before moving on to the next.
Read more below to learn how to head scope creep off at the pass.
Defining the term
Scope creep is the term used when a project’s requirements expand beyond the original agreement without formal approval. A few undocumented changes can snowball into budget overruns, missed deadlines and disputes that can land owners and contractors in court.
It can start innocently enough. The property owner wants a seemingly benign change to the original agreement. But one minor change can sometimes lead to many others. To avoid scope creep, the change order process set forth in the construction agreement must be followed for all change orders regardless of how insignificant that they may seem to be at the time.
Projects derail due to scope creep
One must only look back on Boston’s “Big Dig,” the perennial construction project that took 45 years to complete and which went millions of dollars over budget, due in part to terminal scope creep.
Contractors can usually prevent scope creep with transparency to clients, ensuring that the contractual change order process is followed, and by ensuring that the project is correctly defined in any contracts or work-related documents. All changes should be in writing and signed by the general contractor and owner. Moreover, all subcontractors should be instructed that any proposed changes must be approved by the general contractor.
Prevention better than the cure
If your project is growing beyond its bounds, don’t wait for the fallout. Learn what your legal options are for stopping scope creep from busting your budget and trashing your carefully curated reputation in the industry.
