Compare and Contract: CCDC 2 and CCDC 5A

CCDC contracts are ubiquitous in the construction industry. They are used for all manner of different project types and sizes, so much so that familiarity with these documents is almost becoming required to do business in Ontario’s construction industry.

There are currently around 14 types of CCDC format contracts. Of these 14, at least six see common usage:

1. CCDC 2 – Stipulated Price Contract
2. CCDC 3 – Cost Plus Contract
3. CCDC 4 – Unit Price Contract
4. CCDC 5A – Construction Management Contract – For Services
5. CCDC 5B – Construction Management Contract – For Services and Construction
6. CCDC 14 – Design-Build Stipulated Price Contract

Two more common formats, the CCDC 2 and the CCDC 5A present very different project delivery methods.

The CCDC 2 style contract is the form of contract that arguably most aligns with a common-sense understanding of how a construction project works. An owner, working with an architect, prepares a design for a project and hires a general contractor to build that design. The general contractor becomes responsible for hiring its own trades, obtaining the materials necessary to complete the work, and completing and coordinating the work. The general contractor runs the site and receives payment from the owner for its work.