This in-person seminar was held in November, 2021.
The next “Effective Auditing of Construction Activity” seminar will be held in 2022.
To be notified, please join our mailing list.
See below for details including seminar content, CPE, reviews, etc.
This two-day course covers proven construction audit strategies and techniques to enhance your organization’s ability to effectively audit and control construction costs. Attendees will learn “how-to” effectively establish and implement audit coverage to achieve “risk-based” cost avoidance and/or cost recovery results.
“The material and teaching technique left me feeling well equipped to perform an effective construction audit.“
Recent EACA Attendee
Outline | Fee | CPE | Accommodations | Venue | Instructor | Brochure | Reviews
Owner organization representatives who are involved with auditing or administering construction activity including:
– Owner’s construction audit representatives (internal audit and/or external consultants)
– Owner’s construction management executives, project managers, contract administrators, construction contract accountants, procurement representatives and/or legal representatives
Types of Contracts Covered
The course will emphasize effective construction audit strategies and construction cost control techniques for projects involving the use of the following types of construction contracts:
- Cost plus FEE – Construction Manager at Risk- Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contracts
- Cost plus FEE – Design-Build GMP contracts
- Cost plus FEE contracts with General Contractors (with or without a GMP)
- Cost Plus FEE contracts with major subcontractors/trade subcontracts (with or without a GMP)
- Lump sum and/or Unit price trade subcontracts or prime construction contracts
Learning Objectives
Owner’s representatives (procurement, legal, project management, auditors and others) will learn specific “how to” techniques for conducting effective audits of their organization’s construction activity, such as:
- Issues to consider to help your organization avoid making costly mistakes when entering into construction contract agreements
- Key steps to ensuring the best value is received when the CM/GC contracts with subcontractors
- Critical process to ensure subcontractor change orders are fairly priced
- Process to control costs related to materials purchased by the Contractor
- How to structure your contract to ensure you do not overpay for contractor owned equipment
- Possible overcharges for third party equipment to watch out for
- How to avoid making excessive payments for subguard and/or contractor controlled insurance programs
- Methods to effectively minimize the loopholes in contracts that create opportunity for contractors to realize excessive hidden profits
- Management/construction audit partnering strategies to ensure construction cost controls are working as anticipated to benefit the project
- Owner’s Project Managers will learn specific key control points that will increase their ability to manage the costs of their construction projects
- Owner’s Project Managers will learn how to effectively partner their construction auditors to more effectively control the costs of their construction projects
Learn The Pros and Cons of
- Lump sum pre-construction services versus cost reimbursable pre-construction services
- Pre-established labor billing rates versus reimbursement of actual wages and verifiable labor burden
- Lump sum general conditions versus cost reimbursable general conditions
- Lump sum self-performed contractor work versus cost plus fee with GMP for self-performed contractor work
- Converting GMP contracts to lump sum contracts
- Supported payment applications versus percentage of completion payment applications
- Pre-agreed labor burden percentages versus reimbursement for actual defined labor burden costs
- Bonding both the prime contractor and the subcontractors
- Subcontractor default insurance (subguard) versus conventional performance and payment bonds
- Savings Sharing clauses versus no savings sharing clauses
- Worker’s Compensation and General Liability Insurance – Conventional insurance versus Contractor
- Controlled Insurance Programs (CCIP)
- Worker’s Compensation and General Liability Insurance – Conventional insurance versus Owner Controlled Insurance Programs (OCIP)
Benchmarking Topics
- Typical contractor fees for cost plus fee with GMP construction manager/general contractor projects of various sizes
- Whether or not to reimburse for general liability insurance or have it covered by Fee
- Typical charges for general liability insurance
- Typical charges for Subcontractor Default Insurance (subguard)
- Typical charges for Contractor Controlled Insurance Programs (CCIP)
- Typical charges for worker’s compensation when the contractor is self-insured and/or uses high deductibles
- Change order markup percentages allowed on subcontractor self-performed work and work performed by sub-subcontractors
- Actual wire and conduit costs versus public “book prices”
Course Outline
Introduction to Effective Auditing of Construction Activity
- Audit objectives related to controlling construction costs
- Project team roles and responsibilities
- Delivery systems – fast track, design build, conventional
- Contract procurement methods, types, and phases
Cost Plus and Time and Material Contracts – Typical Overcharges
- Design contract billings for time and reimbursables
- Billings for personal computer and/or mainframe computer time
- Construction contractor and/or construction manager billings for labor and labor burden
- Billings for contractor-owned equipment, third-party equipment rental, expendable tools, equipment and
- consumables, and material used during construction
- Transactions dealing with subcontractors
Auditing Construction Change Orders
- Typical overcharges in lump sum change orders
- Electrical change order – discussion exercise
- Change order labor and labor burden pricing
Auditing Lump Sum or Unit Price Contracts
- Quality and scope of work overcharges
- Substitution of materials or methods
- Not performing required services
- Not installing proper quantities
- Special types of lump sum contract overcharge situations
- Adjusting allowances
- Required bonds and insurance
- Improper charges for sales tax
- Special unit price overcharge situations
- Excessive quantities billed
- Improper measurement method used
- Inaccurate measurements
- Billings for excessive quantities actually performed
Program Fee
REGULAR SEMINAR REGISTRATION Fee = $1,195
Program fee includes instruction, all program materials, breakfast and lunch each day and refreshment breaks.
Program Schedule
Tuesday: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Wednesday: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Cancellation and Refund
We have updated our policy to reflect current concerns. Enrollment is limited to assure maximum opportunity for participation and exchange of ideas. Substitutes will be accepted until the program starts. If you need to cancel for any COVID19 related reason, cancellations will be accepted without incurring a cancellation fee. We also offer the option to transfer your registration to a future event. Contact Marie Jones at 254-736-0309 or email marie.jones@caacci.org.
CPE
All participants are eligible to receive up to 16 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: Auditing. Course Level: Basic. Group-live, lecture-style seminar; no prerequisites or advanced preparation required. For information regarding CPE, complaint, or program cancellation, please contact Marie Jones at 254-736-0309 or Rich Townsend at 972-679-6762 or email info@caacci.org.
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
Accommodations:
Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center
Surrounded by scenic parks and water features, the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center is a luxurious Plano hotel conveniently located within walking distance to upscale shopping, fine dining and entertainment.
Shops at Legacy Legacy West
Our group block has now expired, however you should still be able to reserve a room at the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center.
Most of our attendees stay at the hotel for two nights and a few opt to stay over a third night.
Please book your reservation online: Marriott.com
Take a Virtual Tour of our hotel here
Learn about Marriott’s Commitment to Clean
See additional photos of the Marriott at Legacy Town Center and the surrounding venues.
Marriott Detail Sheet listing Services, Fitness & Recreation (nearby golf courses), Local Attractions & Dining.
If you have any problems making reservations for the nights you would like to stay at the hotel, please let us know and we will check with the hotel to see if they can accommodate your stay.
Venue
The seminar classes will be held at:
Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center 7121 Bishop Rd, Plano TX 75024
Directions www.marriott.com
Instructor
Rich Townsend is a principal of the consulting firm R. L. Townsend & Associates, LLC, which provides construction audit and construction cost control consulting services to Owners.
Since 1985, Mr. Townsend has been the instructor for the seminar entitled “Controlling Construction Costs” and “Effective Auditing of Construction Activity” sponsored by Courtenay Thompson & Associates. He has also instructed in-house seminars related to construction contract audit and construction cost control for a wide variety of organizations and industries throughout the United States and Canada.
Prior to starting his consulting firm, Rich spent 13 years with the auditing department of a major retail corporation. During his internal auditing career (1971-1984), he served in several staff and audit management positions with a specialization in audits of construction contract activity.
Mr. Townsend is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and Certified Construction Auditor (CCA). He currently serves on the advisory board for The National Association of Construction Auditors.
He is a graduate of Waynesburg College (Waynesburg, Pennsylvania) where he obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in accounting.
Seminar Developers
R. L. Townsend & Associates, LLC and Courtenay Thompson & Associates have jointly developed our professional development training seminars related to construction cost control and audit.
Reviews from Seminar Participants
“I found the 2-day training really useful, and informative. Great class! Personally, I have a lot of takeaways back to my organization. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge and experience. “
“Phenomenal class!”
“Very informative with great interaction for real world applications and discussions.”
“The material and teaching technique left me feeling well equipped to perform an effective construction audit.“
“The information and shared knowledge will assist tremendously. Thank you for providing clear direction on the documents needed to test pay applications.”
“Learned a lot about contract language we can add to our contracts and also things we can look for during construction audits.”
Register:
Registration is closed for this event.
REGISTRATION NOTES:
- Your registration confirmation will be emailed to you after you register. If you do not see it in your Inbox, check your “Other” folders and add us to your email service list of “Safe Senders” to receive future emails containing seminar details.
- To Pay by Check: Select the option to “pay later” and we will email an electronic invoice.
- To Register a Group: Select the quantity in the form below.
- International Payments: must be made by credit card in advance of this seminar.
- Need Assistance: Contact Marie Jones through the chat box, call (254) 736-0309 or email: marie.jones@caacci.org
Have Questions? Contact Marie Jones through the chat box, call (254) 736-0309 or email: marie.jones@caacci.org
Click here for a copy of a W-9 for Construction Audit & Cost Control Institute, Inc.