

This is a 1.5 Day In-Person-Only Conference
August 11 2026 8:00am - 5:00pm
August 12, 2026 8:00am - Noon
Location: The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City , UT
If you are involved in auditing or managing construction contract activity this will be an excellent opportunity to hear about best practices that have been successfully implemented by a variety of experienced professionals from several different organizations.
This 12-hour interactive Best Practices Symposium is for experienced Owner construction audit professionals and/or construction management professionals looking to gain additional insight into the latest best practice trends related to the management and.or audit of construction contract activity.
In this conference, we will be exploring the latest examples of best practice construction contracting, construction auditing methodologies, the effective use of AI (when it can help and what to be careful of ). We will also be exploring the the pros and cons of different construction contract language concepts, procurement approaches, project cost controls, and construction audit techniques.
For more information on the history of the Construction Audit and Cost Control Institute, click here.
Symposium Presentations will be made by Subject Matter Experts from the following organizations:
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Armanino
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Auditec Solutions
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Baker Tilly
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Construction Management Partners
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Fort Hill Associates, LLC
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HPM, LLC
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Kitch Attorneys & Counselors
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Moss Adams
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R. L. Townsend & Associates, LLC
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Reiser Cost Consultants
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SiteTraxx, LLC
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WiszCo, LLC

Best Practices Symposium Venue
The Grand America Hotel
Salt Lake City, Utah
Address:
The Grand America Hotel
555 South Main Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Reservation Link for Discounted Group Rate:
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The hotel is a short Uber Ride from the Salt Lake City Airport.
Registration Fee:
Register by 05/31/2026 for a $200 early registration discount = $1,095.
Register during June 2026 for a $100 early registration discount = $1,195.
Registrations received after June 30, 2026 will be the non-discounted registration fee of $1,295.
When registering, you can pay by credit card and/or PayPal, or you will have the option to choose a "manual" option to receive an invoice and pay later by check or credit card.
Program fee includes instruction, electronic program materials, first evening reception, breakfast, lunch, and refreshment breaks.
Tuesday, August 11, 2026: All Day Meeting - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Buffet Breakfast will be provided Tuesday morning starting at 7:00 a.m. and lunch will be provided at noon on Tuesday.
Tuesday, August 11, 2026: Post-Meeting Networking Reception:
Monday following the Conference from approx 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm (Hosted bar with appetizers provided).
Wednesday, August 12, 2026: One-Half Day Meeting - 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Buffet Breakfast will be provided Wednesday morning starting at 7:00 a.m.
Cancellation Policy
If you register and pay for one of our seminar or conference events and are unable to attend, please notify us by email or phone and we will apply your credit toward any future training or issue a refund. If you need to cancel please contact either of the following:
Ashley Humphries (214) 551-4942 ashley.humphries@rltownsend.com
Rich Townsend (972) 679-6762 rltownsend@rltownsend.com
Learning Objectives
Earn up to12 CPE Credits
Course Level - All levels welcome
In this conference, along with our featured guest presenters, we will be exploring the pros and cons of different construction contract language concepts, procurement approaches, project cost controls, and construction audit techniques. Learning points will be provided with examples.
Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with our featured guest presenters, our conference facilitators, and other participants on a wide variety of construction cost control and audit best practices such as the following:
Our featured guest presenters with be discussing their greatest challenges and their best practice solutions for managing and auditing CMAR and/or Design-Build construction contracts. Some topics to be covered include:
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How Owners, Contractors, and Construction Auditors “partner” to achieve common goals for project success.
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How to adequately address potential “hidden fees” when requesting proposals and/or negotiating contract terms.
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How to work with your contractors so that both parties are treated fairly during contract negotiations.
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How to develop fair and balanced contracting practices to help get the best value for amounts spent on construction.
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How to audit contractor records to prevent, detect and/or resolve potential overcharges on labor, materials, equipment, insurance, and subcontracts
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How to effectively deal with the impact of possible material cost escalation and de-escalation resulting from any new tariffs being added and/or subsequently lifted on imported materials.
Learning Objectives Include Best Practices for Managing and Auditing related to the following common contracting challenges:
(a) conventional insurance.
(b) self-insurance.
(c) captive insurance.
(d) contractor-controlled insurance (CCIP).
(e) subcontractor default insurance (SDI).
(f) contractor self-performed work.
(g) contractor costs of pension plans.
(h) costs of employee stock pension/bonus plans.
(i) costs of conventional health insurance.
(j) costs of high-deductible insurance policies.
(k) contractor owned equipment charges.
(l) trade subcontracts and trade subcontract change orders.
(m) contractor and subcontractor charges from affiliated companies.
(n) contractor and subcontractor labor charges.
(o) trade contractor shop fabrication and shop overhead charges.
(p) contractor and subcontractor charges for IT hardware and software.
(q) pros and cons of converting cost-plus fee with GMP contracts to Lump Sum.
Our Featured Guest Presenters will be making short presentations followed by time for interactive Q&A.
In addition, our conference hosts and facilitators will facilitate roundtable open discussions on other questions and topics of interest to the attendees.
Who Will Benefit From This Program:
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wner Construction Audit Consultants and Internal Auditors
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Owner Architect team members
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Owner Inside Counsel and Outside Counsel
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Owner CFO’s and Controllers
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Owner Directors of Facilities
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Construction and Engineering Department Representatives
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Owner Construction Contract Administrators
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Owner Cost Engineers
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Owner Facilities Management Department Representatives
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Owner Procurement Department Representatives
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Owner Program Managers
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Owner Inspectors
Participants Will:
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Learn the latest best practices for managing and auditing construction activity
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Obtain an update on the trends in tools and techniques used for construction cost control and audit
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Explore specific case example results to illustrate major learning points
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Get your questions answered during Q&A sessions at the conclusion of each presentation
All participants are eligible to receive up to 12 Continuing Education Credits (CPE’s) to fulfill professional accreditation requirements. Participants will receive 1 CPE credit for every 50 minutes in attendance. Field of Study: Finance-Technical. Course Level: Basic. Group-Live, lecture-style seminar; no prerequisites or advanced preparation required. For information regarding CPE, complaint, or program cancellation, please contact: Ashley Humphries (214-551-4942) ashley.humphries@rltownsend.com or Rich Townsend (972-679-6762) rltownsend@rltownsend.com.

Construction Audit & Cost Control Institute (CAACCI) is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org