Which AIA contract documents were used in the described project between the owner and the consultant team?

• A. AIA B101 with the project owner and AIA C401 with the consultant team
• B. AIA B101 with the consultant team and AIA C401 with the owner
• C. AIA A201 with the project owner and AIA C401 with the consultant team
• D. AIA B104 with the project owner and AIA C105 with the consultant team

Answer: (A)

When a project has an owner working with an architectural team that includes a consultant, the usual structure is for the owner to sign an agreement with the architect and for the architect to sign an agreement with the consultant. The B101 contract form governs the owner–architect relationship, covering services, responsibilities, and compensation. The C401 contract form governs the architect–consultant relationship, detailing the consultant’s scope of work and how it integrates with the overall design. This setup keeps the design work coordinated through the architect, while the consultant provides specialized services under a clear agreement with the architect.

Other pairings don’t fit this scenario because they either place the consultant directly with the owner (bypassing the architect’s coordinating role) or use forms intended for different project scales or relationships (such as general conditions for construction between owner and contractor, or small-project variants) that don’t reflect the owner–architect–consultant chain of responsibility described.