AGC Contract Documents Directions

Thank you for your interest in our form contracts!  If you are a member and have not yet received the contract you'd like to use, please email Mike Schechter (mschechter@agcmn.org). 

Once you receive your contract document:

  1. It might open, which means that you have a Microsoft account that is linked to this software.  Just save and forward to others in your organization to use.  It should open for all users who have a copy of Office registered to your company’s domain name.
     
  2. The file may not open but give you an error message, something along the lines that you don’t have permission. It will ask you to enter your email.  Do that and then you will get another message to create or register or log into your Microsoft ID.  No worries.  At this point, click create a Microsoft account.  It will ask you a few questions and make sure that you’re really human, and then verify that your ID matches the domain name of the Office registered with the computer.  The file should then open.​​​​​​
     
  3. About 5% of users have experienced a problem at this point, typically an error message when they click the “create” account with Microsoft.  We had a telephone conference call with Microsoft who confirmed that the file’s settings were correct.  The  most likely reasons are:

                                 i.      You do not meet the system requirements.

                                 ii.      Windows ID errors— (1) Office needs to be registered to your company’s email address (ie. the domain name in the email that the file was sent) versus a personal email address registration, and/or, (2) you may need to run an update to your version of Office Pro.  Office 2013 with updates seems to work.  Earlier versions, standard edition and 32-bit versions sometimes struggle.  Fixing the registration or upgrading either Window or Office has solved most of the issues. 

                                iii.      If you get an error that says you cannot connect to the Windows ID screen or are timed out, then you likely have a firewall setting that is preventing your computer from going to the Microsoft site.  You need to adjust the firewall setting that is causing this problem.

How to use 

This contract is set up as a form.  Assuming it works correctly, all you need to do is enter the information that is relevant for each project/job, print, and send to the other party.  Entering the information should be easy too.  Click on the field or press tab which should advance you to the next field. 

If you need to tweak any term in the form, state the change in the Addendum and initial the Addendum.  There is a high value in respecting the form so that one can trust and rely that the terms of the form are always the same unless clearly noted otherwise.

You can fill out the form in part and save it, which will save those fields.  For instance, writing in your company information and saving the form will mean that you don’t have to enter this information each time you use the form.

Some fields ask you to enter text and some have drop down options to choose.  For instance, in the Standard Subcontracting Agreement under the “Labor” paragraph, there are options if the job requires union signatories, is a PLA, is prevailing wage, or is nonunion.  Here’s some tips:

  • Don’t send the original file. The other side can change the form fields.  Instead, when you’ve filled out the fields, print as a pdf or to paper, and then share.
  • You can enter your information, save, and then, when you open the form, you won’t have to retype your information (just the information particular to that project).  Just be sure to save the file with a new name.

Moving to an electronic form is new, offering advantages and opportunities to learn.  Please, let us know any feedback about your experience.