ROCKVILLE, MD—The Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is releasing a major update to its highly-regarded and popular construction management publication, Change Orders, Productivity, Overtime—A Primer for the Construction Industry. Last updated in 2005, this publication has become a standard in the construction industry and is widely relied upon by mechanical and other specialty contractors, attorneys in construction practices, and consultants.
In announcing the major update at its 122nd Annual Convention in Wailea, Maui, MCAA President Robert T. Armistead, P.E. said, “I am delighted that contractors and other frequent users of this important publication will have the benefits of a major update. The new citations and cases, as well as the clear practical advice for contractors, will be extraordinarily helpful in finding appropriate ways to handle changing conditions on a jobsite.”
The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) has endorsed the publication, and to date the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) has endorsed the publication’s labor inefficiency factors while continuing to review the entire publication. MCAA will make the publication available to SMACNA and NECA members at the MCAA member rate.
In this 2011 update, MCAA completely rewrote segments of the book to address three critical subjects:
- “How to Identify and Manage Change Orders” addresses the current trends in change order pricing. Contractors will learn about direct and indirect cost elements that should be considered when pricing a change order.
- “How to Organize and Submit a Claim” provides guidelines for the process of preparing a claim for recovery of unanticipated costs for elements of damages including schedule impacts and labor inefficiencies.
- “How to Estimate the Impacts of Overtime on Labor Productivity” provides a comparison of several of the industry’s most widely accepted overtime inefficiency studies with examples of how those studies can be applied to forward and retrospectively price overtime inefficiency change orders or claims.
These new segments have been written by recognized industry experts who offer advice on these subjects to contractors, owners and design professional on a regular basis, and who, when required, testify as experts on the subject about which each author has written.
These experts include Mr. Paul Ficca, CPA, CFE, CMA, Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting; Mr. Paul Stynchcomb, PSP, CFCC, Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting; Mr. Jarad Kriz, CCM, LEED AP (BD+C), PSP, Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting; Dr. Mike Pappas, P.E., PhD, Principal, Pappas Consulting; and Mr. Charles Choyce, PSP, PMP, CFCC, Managing Director, FTI Consulting.
The publication was also peer reviewed by a panel of MCAA contractors and other experts. They include Robert Beck, John W. Danforth Company; Michael Cables, Kinetics; James Durant, Trautman & Shreve; Richard Freeman, Stromberg Metal Works; Matthew Hahr, John J. Kirlin; Michael Loulakis, Capital Project Strategies; Michael Mack, John J. Kirlin; Adam Snavely, The Poole & Kent Corporation; and William Goodrum, John J. Kirlin. Additionally, existing content including the widely-accepted MCAA labor inefficiency “Factors” was significantly updated.
This information will help contractors prepare schedule time impact analyses, track and monitor field labor productivity and have the best information on a host of other highly relevant project management topics. This major revision will provide its readers with valuable and timely information that can help improve profitability and better protect the rights of contractors regarding change order pricing and when faced with claims and disputes.
The publication has a broad spectrum of management topics designed to improve a contractor’s profit horizons and offer advice on managing construction projects. The price of the Change Orders, Productivity, Overtime—A Primer for the Construction Industry publication is $150 for members of MCAA, SMACNA and NECA. The price for non-members is $495. Both hardcopy and electronic versions can be ordered online from the MCAA Bookstore at www.mcaa.org/store.
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