FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 7, 2026

Contact: Katie LaPotin, Executive/Marketing Director

                Katie@ejcdc.org

                (571) 396-5495

Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee® (EJCDC) Releases the EJCDC® CMAR-001, Commentary on the 2023 EJCDC Construction Manager at Risk Series Documents

New commentary provides practical guidance for understanding, selecting, coordinating, and administering EJCDC’s Construction Manager at Risk documents.

Alexandria, VA – The Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC®) is pleased to announce the publication of EJCDC® CMAR-001, Commentary on the 2023 EJCDC Construction Manager at Risk Series Documents.

CMAR-001 is a comprehensive companion resource to EJCDC’s 2023 Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) Series. The CMAR Series comprises 28 documents, including the Commentary, for establishing and administering contractual relationships among the Owner, Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Owner’s Advisor, Engineer, Subcontractors, and other project participants.

The new Commentary is intended to help users understand the content and practical application of the CMAR Series. Because CMAR contracts share many elements with design-bid-build delivery, CMAR-001 focuses principally on the procedures, roles, cost structures, and contractual features that are unique to CMAR and cross-references EJCDC’s Construction Series guidance where appropriate.

Construction Manager at Risk is a collaborative project delivery method that brings the builder into the project during design, before construction is fully defined. The approach can support early constructability input, cost and schedule management, risk identification, procurement of long-lead materials and equipment, phased Work Packages, and construction that begins before completion of the entire design.

SIGNIFICANT FEATURES OF CMAR-001

• Overview of CMAR project delivery. Explains the CMAR delivery model, the role of the Owner’s Advisor, contractual relationships, and factors Owners should consider when determining whether CMAR is appropriate.
• Project phases and participant responsibilities. Describes collaboration from preliminary design and CMAR selection through preconstruction, procurement, construction, and closeout, including budgeting, scheduling, constructability reviews, value engineering, procurement planning, and risk management.
• Contract structure and compensation. Provides guidance on Work Packages and Work Authorizations, CMAR Services, Construction Support Costs, Cost of the Work, CMAR Fee, contingency, Owner budgets, and Guaranteed Maximum Price concepts.
• CMAR selection and procurement. Addresses coordinated EJCDC forms for selection requirements and CMAR selection, including RFQs, statements of qualifications, RFPs, proposals, and notice of award.
• Guidance on key CMAR agreements. Discusses Owner-Engineer, Owner-Owner’s Advisor, and Owner-CMAR relationships, scope allocation, coordination, authorized Work, Contract Times, damages, and GMP provisions.
• Contract administration and changes. Explains Work Authorizations and administration of changes through Work Change Directives, Change Orders, Field Orders, and Contract Amendments.
• General and Supplementary Conditions, bonds, and insurance. Provides commentary on CMAR-700 and CMAR-800 and addresses supplementary conditions, insurance, proposal security, and performance, payment, and warranty bonds.
• Cost-management guidance. Addresses management of the project budget and evolving construction cost while design, procurement, and construction activities overlap.

FOUR REFERENCE EXHIBITS

CMAR-001 includes four exhibits designed to make the Commentary a practical reference throughout project development and administration:

• Exhibit A — a complete listing of the 2023 EJCDC Construction Manager at Risk Series Documents.
• Exhibit B — EJCDC definitions and terminology used throughout the CMAR Series.
• Exhibit C — a Construction Manager at Risk process overview.
• Exhibit D — a Construction Manager at Risk selection process overview

WHY THE COMMENTARY MATTERS

CMAR delivery can offer substantial advantages when a project benefits from early builder involvement, collaborative cost and schedule management, phased procurement or construction, and coordinated risk mitigation. At the same time, CMAR requires a more complex selection, pricing, and contract-administration process than a typical design-bid-build project. CMAR-001 is intended to help Owners and their project teams understand those differences and use the EJCDC CMAR documents as an integrated system.

The Commentary emphasizes that CMAR is not appropriate for every project. It encourages Owners to evaluate project drivers, applicable laws and regulations, internal capabilities, schedule needs, procurement requirements, and the value of early collaboration before selecting the delivery method.

CMAR-001 also highlights the importance of clearly written and coordinated contracts. In a successful CMAR project, the Owner, Owner’s Advisor, Engineer, and CMAR must understand their respective roles and work collaboratively while preserving the Engineer’s responsibility and control over the completed design and the CMAR’s responsibility for procurement and construction.

The EJCDC® CMAR-001 is now available as a free download in the online store at EJCDC.org. It is also included as part of the CMAR full set collection (CMAR-990). Members of EJCDC®’s sponsoring organizations (the American Council of Engineering Companies, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the American Society of Civil Engineers) can also download this document directly from those organizations. 

Over the last 50 years, Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC®) has developed and updated fair and objective standard documents specifically written for infrastructure projects in the United States. Each EJCDC® Contract Document is systematically prepared, reviewed and analyzed by committees of experienced engineering design and construction professionals, owners, contractors, professional liability and risk management experts, with the participation and advice of legal counsel. 

For more information, please contact EJCDC® Executive/Marketing Director Katie LaPotin at katie@ejcdc.org or (571) 396-5495.

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