AIA Contract Documents Provide NS Builders With a Cohesive, Proven Commodity that Fuels Growth
About NS Builders
NS Builders was established in 2014 by Nick Schiffer. Since entering the market, the firm has purposedly added highly skilled professionals who are willing to passionately pursue their vision for success. Renowned for their quality craftsmanship, NS Builders has grown into one of the most respected homebuilders in Eastern Massachusetts. Through years of relentless attention to detail, customer service, and quality, NS Builders stands as one of the premier construction entities in the region.
“Building the kind of contract portfolio that we’re able to through ACD would’ve cost us massive amounts of time and money.”
Introduction
When Julian Miller assumed the role of Director of Operations at NS Builders, he knew he had landed at the right place. The firm was small but strong, with a balanced roster of projects that he could sink his proverbial chops into. A veteran of commercial construction, Miller was comfortable at every stage of a project, knew his way around a site, and knew just the ingredients needed for a successful construction recipe. Upon getting a spoonful of the NS Builders operations model, he walked away thinking the taste was a little off. “Something was missing, and I knew just what it was. For me to be successful in this role and for the firm to benefit, we needed fresh new contracts, and I knew just the place to find them: ACD.”
Miller respects a good contract; throughout his career, he’s seen firsthand their impact on projects. “I’ve always found contracts from ACD to be unbiased and fair, not swaying to one side or the other. That level of document integrity is invaluable in the construction industry where profit margins, viability, and relationships are at stake.” Widely viewed as the industry standard, ACD writes contracts from the perspectives of all parties, never slanting one way or the other, always working toward striking a fair and equitable balance. “The ACD contracts are universally accepted by architects, subcontractors, and homeowners. From a negotiation’s standpoint, this kind of acceptance and the level of comfort the contracts provide helps the conversation move at a fluid pace, gets us to the dotted line, and ultimately, gets the project started more expeditiously.”
Saving With AIA Contract Documents
‘Keep overheads low’ is a phrase that rings in the minds of every business leader regardless of the size of their operation. But for a small firm like NS Builders, maintaining overhead integrity is a must. Legal costs, including the resources it would take to build a functional roster of contracts, amount to a financial nightmare. Thanks to Miller and his history with ACD, those potential nightmares have turned into profit-driven dreams. “We’re small but growing, and any unaddressed financial outlier could halt that growth. When we add up the number of projects we complete per year and the savings we can attribute to using ACD instead of outside counsel, the impact on our bottom line is significant.”
“The variety of contracts ACD offers, formats, and templates has truly been a game changer.”
Increased Efficiency
Efficiency is another area where Miller has seen marked improvement since moving to ACD. Time is money in the construction industry, and avoiding costly delays is one way to protect your profit margins and ensure successful outcomes. To do these things, NS Builders leans heavily on a slew of documents including the A104-2017 Cost Plus Contract. The A104-2017 is a standalone agreement with its internal general conditions. “We used the A104-2017 on a current project in Needham, a suburb of Boston, and the governance it provides has been nothing less than stellar.”
“Subcontractor relationships have improved dramatically since our firm began using ACD.”
Subcontractor Benefits
Increased efficiency can also be seen in subcontractor relationships thanks in large part to the A421-2018 Master Agreement and the A422-Work Order Form. Both of these documents have been instrumental in helping to strengthen those bonds while increasing the pace of projects without compromising integrity. “The A421 and A422 are quick, simple, and easy, and the subcontractors immediately recognized their value. They’re efficient, streamlined, and sturdy, all the things we’ve come to expect from ACD, the industry standard.”