G-Series Change and Administration Forms: Change Orders (G701), CCDs (G714), ASIs (G710), and RFIs (G716)

AIA G-Series forms that govern changes and administration during construction, including change orders, construction change directives, architect's supplemental instructions, and requests for information.

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Overview

Construction never goes exactly according to plan. Site conditions shift, owners refine their vision, contractors spot conflicts in the documents. Every one of those moments requires a formal mechanism for communicating and authorizing changes. That is where the AIA G-Series forms come in.

Four forms sit at the center of construction-phase change management. G701 (Change Order) formalizes changes that all three parties, owner, contractor, and architect, have agreed upon. G714 (Construction Change Directive) lets the owner and architect direct changes even when the contractor hasn't yet agreed on price or time adjustments. G710 (Architect's Supplemental Instructions) handles minor clarifications and interpretations that don't touch the contract sum or contract time. And G716 (Request for Information) gives any party a standardized way to ask questions about the contract documents without authorizing additional cost or time.

For the PjM exam, you need to know when each form applies, who signs it, and what authority it carries. Mixing them up is one of the most common traps on the test. A change directive is not a change order. An ASI is not an RFI. Each form has a specific scope and specific limits, and getting those boundaries wrong on the exam means getting the question wrong.

This topic covers the purpose, parties, and contractual limits of each form so you can confidently match any construction scenario to the correct G-Series document.

Essential

Construction projects generate changes. That's not a flaw in the process; it's the nature of building something complex in real-world conditions. The AIA created a suite of G-Series forms specifically to manage these changes with clear authority levels, defined responsibilities, and documented agreement. Four of these forms show up repeatedly on the PjM exam. ## The Change Hierarchy Think of changes during construction as falling on a spectrum from minor to major, and each G-Series form covers a different band on that spectrum. At the bottom: G710, Architect's Supplemental Instructions (ASI). This form handles interpretations, clarifications, and minor changes that do not affect the contract sum or contract time. The architect issues a G710 on their own authority, without needing signatures from the owner or contractor. If a detail needs clarification or a minor adjustment improves constructability but doesn't change the price or schedule, the architect uses a G710.

Professional

An architect leading construction administration on a 200,000-square-foot mixed-use project receives three communications in a single morning: a contractor question about a detail at the curtain wall parapet, an owner request to upgrade lobby finishes, and a directive from the project owner to relocate a mechanical shaft because of a tenant lease conflict. Each requires a different G-Series form, and selecting the wrong one creates legal exposure. The curtain wall question is straightforward. The contractor needs clarification on how flashing integrates with a parapet cap detail shown in the construction documents. No cost change, no schedule impact. The architect reviews the drawings and specifications, confirms the design intent, and issues a G716 (RFI) response. The response documents the clarification but does not authorize additional cost or time. If the clarification reveals a coordination conflict that requires changed work, a separate change document would follow. The lobby upgrade is owner-driven.

TLDR

G701 (Change Order): All three parties agree. Documents changes to contract sum and time. Fully binding once signed by owner, contractor, and architect.
G714 (CCD): Owner and architect direct changes when the contractor hasn't agreed on terms. Contractor must comply; price settled later.
G710 (ASI): Architect issues minor clarifications or interpretations on their own authority. Cannot change contract sum or time. Period.
G716 (RFI): Any party requests information about the contract documents. Neither the question nor the answer authorizes additional cost or time.
G709 (Proposal Request): Architect asks the contractor for pricing on a potential change. Not a directive. Just a request for numbers.
A201 Sections 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 govern change orders, CCDs, and minor changes respectively. Know the section numbers.
B101 Section 4.2.2.2: Architect can claim additional compensation for improperly prepared or unnecessary RFIs.
Exam trap: a CCD does NOT require contractor agreement. A change order does.
Change categories by who pays: owner-directed (contractor compensated), site conditions (contractor compensated), errors/omissions (contractor compensated, designer backcharged), VE (savings shared), contractor fault (contractor not compensated).

ELI5

Imagine you're building a giant treehouse with your friends. You have a plan drawn out, but as you build, things come up. Maybe you find a branch in the way, or the person who hired you wants a bigger window. You need different kinds of permission slips depending on what's happening. The simplest slip is the G710 (ASI). Think of it like a sticky note from the lead builder. "Hey, use three screws here instead of two." Small clarification. No extra money, no extra time. The architect can write this one all by themselves. Then there's the G716 (RFI). This is just raising your hand to ask a question. "This drawing shows a shelf, but it doesn't say how deep. How deep should it be?" The answer might be simple, or it might reveal a bigger problem. But the question itself doesn't change anything about the deal.

AREProject Management

G-Series Change and Administration Forms: Change Orders (G701), CCDs (G714), ASIs (G710), and RFIs (G716)

2 min read228 words

G-Series Forms: The Architect's Change Management Toolkit

This topic covers the purpose, parties, and contractual limits of each form so you can confidently match any construction scenario to the correct G-Series document.

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