ABIC Contract Administrator
Contract Administration
Specialist advisory for architects and parties involved in ABIC contract administration across Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, and Darwin
Under ABIC contracts, the architect serves as contract administrator, a role that carries significant responsibilities for the fair and proper administration of the building contract between owner and builder.
Christopher Larcos provides specialist advisory services on ABIC contract administration, drawing on his unique dual qualification as both a solicitor and a registered architect. His understanding of the contract administrator’s role is informed by decades of practical experience on both sides, as an architect who has administered contracts, and as a lawyer who advises on the legal implications of contract administration decisions.
As an adjudicator under security of payment legislation in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory, he sees firsthand how contract administration failures lead to payment disputes. This gives his advisory work a practical edge: he knows what goes wrong when contract administration breaks down, and how to structure procedures that prevent those failures, whether the project is in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, or Darwin.
His contract administration advisory covers the full scope of the architect’s role under ABIC contracts: assessing progress claims, certifying payments, deciding variations and extensions of time, managing practical completion, and navigating the boundary between administration and advocacy.
Contract Administration Advisory Services
Specialist advisory for architects acting as contract administrators and for parties who are subject to contract administration decisions under ABIC contracts.
Progress Claims & Payment Certification
Advisory on the contract administrator's obligations in assessing progress claims, issuing payment certificates, and managing the payment regime under ABIC contracts, including monthly progress payment structures used on residential projects in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia.
Variations & Extensions of Time
Guidance on the contract administrator's role in assessing and deciding variations and extensions of time within the ABIC framework, ensuring decisions are made within power and properly documented regardless of the state or territory.
Contract Administration Procedures
Specialist advice on establishing and maintaining contract administration procedures from contract execution through to practical completion, including notice requirements, certification timelines, and record-keeping - tailored to the governing legislation in each jurisdiction.
Dispute Resolution & Adjudication
Expert advice when contract administration disputes arise, whether as the contract administrator facing a challenge, or as a party questioning a contract administrator's decision. Christopher is an adjudicator in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and the ACT.
The Contract Administrator’s Role Under ABIC Contracts
ABIC contracts are distinguished from other standard-form building contracts by their use of the architect as contract administrator. Under an ABIC contract, the contract administrator:
- Assesses progress claims submitted by the builder and issues payment certificates to the owner
- Decides variations and determines their value
- Assesses and decides claims for extensions of time
- Administers practical completion and the defects liability period
- Acts independently, not as the owner's agent, in making assessments and decisions
This contract administration model creates a three-party dynamic that requires the architect to balance their professional obligations against the contractual framework. Getting this balance right is critical, and it is where specialist contract administration advisory adds the most value.
By contrast, Master Builders contracts (BC3, BC4) do not appoint an independent contract administrator. Under those forms, the owner assesses claims directly. The ABIC contract administration model provides an independent layer of assessment that benefits both parties when administered correctly.
Who Benefits from Contract Administration Advisory
Architects acting as ABIC contract administrators
Owners subject to contract administration decisions
Builders whose progress claims are being assessed
Practices establishing contract administration procedures
Parties in dispute over a contract administrator's decision
Legal practitioners advising on contract administration issues
Need Contract Administration Advice?
Whether you’re an architect navigating the contract administrator role, an owner questioning a certification decision, or a builder whose claim has been assessed, get in touch for specialist advisory grounded in both legal expertise and practical construction experience.
Specialist Credentials
- Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects (FRAIA)
- Dual-qualified solicitor and registered architect
- 40+ years in the construction industry
- Adjudicator across five Australian jurisdictions
- Former NSW Editor, Building & Construction Law Journal