…but more critically, General MacArthur reportedly added, “Always give orders that can’t be misunderstood.”

This aphorism applies to exterior restoration contract documents (CDs). We always follow the “five Cs” of effective CDs—correct, complete, clear, concise, and consistent. In other words, “include all essential information and nothing but the essential information.”

But we go beyond that. We ask ourselves: how might the contactor, even a good one, misunderstand?  So, we avoid specifying two types of materials that look alike and could be confused. If a coating is temperature sensitive and we suspect construction will extend through winter, we’ll specify a more forgiving material. Or we might lean toward a prepackaged product where the contractor just adds water, as opposed to precise mixing of two or three ingredients.

We strive to avoid instances of MacArthur’s other well-known saying, “I shall return.” A successful restoration project means that we shouldn’t have to return to the building’s issue any time soon. Maybe just for the next FISP cycle.