In CSI/CDT study materials, a key concept is that each party’s legal obligations come from their own agreement:
The owner–contractor relationship is defined in the Owner–Contractor Agreement and its General Conditions (commonly AIA A201).
The owner–architect relationship is defined in the Owner–Architect Agreement (commonly AIA B101).
The architect’s duty to provide construction administration services, including reviewing submittals, is a service owed to the owner and is therefore set out in the Owner–Architect Agreement, not the General Conditions.
In AIA’s standard structure (which CSI uses extensively in CDT):
AIA B101 (Owner–Architect Agreement) lists the architect’s basic services, including:
Construction Phase Services
Review of submittals (shop drawings, product data, samples, etc.)This is what legally obligates the architect to review submittals as part of their contracted services to the owner.
AIA A201 (General Conditions) describes the architect’s role in the context of the construction contract between owner and contractor (e.g., the architect will review submittals in accordance with the Contract Documents), but the architect’s obligation itself arises from B101, which is the contract between owner and architect.
Therefore, the document that actually obligates the architect/engineer (A/E) to perform submittal review as part of construction administration is AIA Document B101 → Option B.
Why the other options are incorrect:
A. AIA Document A201, General Conditions of the Contract for ConstructionA201 is part of the Owner–Contractor contract. It establishes procedures and the architect’s function with respect to the contractor, but it does not itself create the architect’s contractual obligation to the owner; that comes from B101. A201 can describe what the architect will do “as provided in the Owner–Architect Agreement,” but the promise from the architect is in B101.
C. AIA Document D200, Project ChecklistD200 is a non-contractual guide/checklist used for planning and scoping services. It is an aid, not a contract, and does not bind the architect to perform submittal review.
D. AIA Document G612, Owners Instructions to the ArchitectG612 is also a form tool, used for gathering owner’s instructions and information; it is not itself the agreement that defines the architect’s scope of services and obligations.
CSI / CDT-aligned references (no links):
CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide – discussions of standard AIA documents and how responsibilities are allocated between owner, architect, and contractor.
CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide – sections on relationships between A201 and B101.
CDT Exam references to AIA A201 – General Conditions and AIA B101 – Owner–Architect Agreement in the “Agreements & Conditions of the Contract” domain.
