Delegated design commonly involves a contractor engaging an appropriately qualified design professional for a defined portion of work, using criteria established in the contract documents. The actual contract defines responsibilities, submissions and review.
Read the assignment on this project
Identify the contract clause, system boundary and criteria supplied to the delegated designer. Do not infer an assignment simply because a contractor prepares shop drawings. A drawing can document fabrication without transferring design responsibility.
AIA’s discussion of A201 Section 3.12 provides one common framework. Your actual contract and jurisdiction determine the project responsibilities and required professional qualifications.
Give the designer a reviewable basis
Collect the performance criteria, relevant loads, geometry and receiving conditions. Resolve contradictions before the package is developed where possible. Keep the revision of each criterion with the submission.
Check that the base design identifies the receiving supports, openings or utility interfaces. A fully developed delegated system can still fail to coordinate with the building that must receive it.
A hypothetical connection package
Suppose a delegated facade package identifies anchor reactions, but the receiving structural detail refers to an earlier connection layout. Record the grid, anchor identity and source revisions. The assigned designers determine the required coordination response.
After acceptance, backcheck the connection location, receiving reinforcement and dependent architectural details. The reinforcement shop-drawing case illustrates how local anchor requirements must reach the placing documents; it does not establish a delegated-design contract assignment.
Delegated-design handoff worksheet
| Check | Sources | Review question |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned scope | Contract requirements and system boundary | What portion of design is assigned and what remains with the original design team? |
| Criteria | Performance, loads and stated design requirements | Are the criteria needed for the delegated design available and consistent? |
| Designer | Required qualifications and submitted design record | Is the responsible design professional and required certification identifiable? |
| Receiving interface | Base design and delegated package | Are supports, connections, geometry and services coordinated? |
| Review route | Project submittal procedure and assigned reviewers | Who checks design conformance and who checks the receiving work? |
| Accepted revision | Comments, response and current package | Did the final decision reach every affected document? |
Separate contract review from permit deferral
A jurisdiction may allow some information to be submitted later as a deferred submittal. That process is distinct from the contractual assignment of design. Confirm both where they apply.
The deferred submittal guide covers permit documentation. The comment closure guide helps backcheck the returned technical package.
Primary reference
AIA Contract Documents’ delegated design explanation provides context for one standard contract framework. Source checked October 13, 2026.
Use this worksheet to organize the source comparison. It does not allocate liability or replace the project’s contractual and professional review decisions.