Under the Spearin Doctrine, the contractor is not liable for errors in what?

• A. Plans and specifications
• B. Site conditions
• C. Weather delays
• D. Materials substitutions

Answer: (A)

The main concept here is risk allocation for owner-provided information. The Spearin Doctrine holds that if a contractor builds in strict accordance with the owner’s plans and specifications, the owner bears the risk of defects in those documents. If the design or information is flawed, the contractor isn’t to blame as long as they followed the documents as written. So, errors in the plans and specifications themselves are not the contractor’s liability under this doctrine.

This is why the best answer is that the contractor is not liable for errors in the plans and specifications. Issues tied to site conditions, weather delays, or material substitutions are governed by other rules and contract terms, not by this doctrine.