contractor not following plans... at all 4

[Ben29]

I designed a new construction church back in 2021. It is being built today. The contractor is making major changes on the fly without approval. We just "found out" that they started building because the architect happened to drive by the site.

1) The foundation has been poured without review of rebar shop drawings.
2) They are supposed to have a 3rd party inspector.... I don't think they do. I am finding that out today.
3) The lateral system is metal stud shear walls with strap X-bracing. All metal stud walls have been "swapped out" for 2x6 wood stud walls. All of the wood walls are erected. The exterior walls have sheathing applied.
4) I think they changed the wall height from 16ft to 14ft (will confirm this today).

The architect is asking me to provide a proposal to review and use the wood studs.

What steps should I take now?

 

[XR250]

Seems accurate

 

[EngDM]

Hitler actually had a pretty tight logical framework for perusing his program.

This is good stuff that I will use in the future, if needed.

FTFY

 

[EdStainless]

Many decades ago I worked for a structural and similar thing happened to us.
He sent registered letters to the city, builder, architect, owner, and anyone else involved that explained that he had done a preliminary design for a similar project but that clarified that the one being built was not his design and that he had no involvement in the project.
This was in day of real mail so it was the third day before the phones blew up.
Regrettably I couldn't attend the meeting with everyone there.
He charged them about double the original amount to salvage it for them.
As a Jr guy I spent a lot of time on ladders measuring exactly what they had done.

 

[lexpatrie]

Be careful with this approach, as you would have now opened yourself up to delay claims which could get costly quickly

Really doubtful, this ground halt is a condition of the engineer remaining on the project and health life safety and welfare are an "absolute" defense as all this work was done willfully by the contractor in violation of the original plans. If the project gets a formal red tag from the city because the engineer disclaims involvement in the project, they will be in the exact same boat, of their own making.

That being said, delay claims are generally the most difficult to get summary judgement on. Which, incidentally, has nothing whatsoever to do with their prevalence versus say, a formal complaint for negligence against an engineer which has all manner of formal obstacles involving sworn affidavits by an opposing professional.... hence there aren't that many of those.

 

[Lutfi]

I designed a new construction church back in 2021. It is being built today. The contractor is making major changes on the fly without approval. We just "found out" that they started building because the architect happened to drive by the site.

1) The foundation has been poured without review of rebar shop drawings.
2) They are supposed to have a 3rd party inspector.... I don't think they do. I am finding that out today.
3) The lateral system is metal stud shear walls with strap X-bracing. All metal stud walls have been "swapped out" for 2x6 wood stud walls. All of the wood walls are erected. The exterior walls have sheathing applied.
4) I think they changed the wall height from 16ft to 14ft (will confirm this today).

The architect is asking me to provide a proposal to review and use the wood studs.

What steps should I take now?

If what you are saying is 100% correct, then run Forest, run away from this job, as fast as you can.