Final answer:
A contractor is obligated to report any errors, omissions, or inconsistencies in the contract documents promptly to the project administrator to avoid construction defects, delays, or cost increases. This action often leads to a change order to formally address these discrepancies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Obligations of a Contractor Regarding Contract Documents
When a contractor encounters errors, omissions, or inconsistencies in the contract documents, their fundamental obligation is to promptly notify the relevant parties, usually the contract administrator or the project architect. Contractors are expected to exercise due diligence and professional judgment to identify such issues before they affect the progress or cost of the project.
Notifying the appropriate party enables the issuance of a change order, which formally amends the contract to address the discovered discrepancies. Ignoring these issues could lead to construction defects, delays, increased costs, and liability for the contractor. Therefore, it is in the contractor's best interest, as well as the project's success, to ensure that any issues with the contract documents are addressed in a timely and proper manner.