Construction Contract Clauses

NOTE-- We retired MacNail in 2000. and replaced it with Goldenseal-- a complete software package that handles construction spec writing, plus accounting, construction estimating, and project management, This manual is still online as a courtesy to die-hard MacNail users! There are Contract Clauses in Goldenseal, which are very similar to the clauses in MacNail Spec Writer.

Boilerplate Contract Clauses

Spec Writer includes one or more Clauses files, which store a contract clause for each line item in an estimator. You can add more clauses to the MacNail construction management software , or you can change any existing clauses.

Each clause in a Clauses file is stored as a sentence fragment. Spec Writer uses 'Smart Grammar' to assemble the fragments into a complete sentence or paragraph, whenever you make a new contract or subcontract.
Smart Grammar gives you several advantages:

* It stores clauses more compactly, since it doesn't need to store every word.
* It handles construction quantities and plurals correctly.
* It lets you switch easily to a different sentence style throughout the contract.
* It lets you vary the sentence structures in different lines of the contract, to make it sound more interesting.
* It gives you the option to include prices, allowances and other options.

NOTE: If you don't want to use sentence fragments, you can enter the clause as a Cell Note (see page 38).

The MacNail project management software provides several types of editing tools to make it easier to work with clauses in the Spec Writer.

* Use the Show this Clause command to check the wording of any clause, to make sure it sounds right (see page 121).
* Use the Phrase Type command to change the sentence structure in a clause (see page 123).
* Use the Subcontractors command to change the list of subcontractors used, and apply a name to the Clauses file (see page 127).
* Use the Irregular Verbs command to make sure non-standard verbs are handled correctly (see page 127).
* Use the Irregular Nouns command to enter non-standard plurals such as 'feet', 'porches' and 'dozen' (see page 131).
* Use the Clause Extras command to add 'stock' phrases which are used at the end of more than one clause (see page 135).
* Use the Set Flags command to determine how a phrase handles allowances, costs and sentence order (see page 139).