RONALD VORNDRAN, APPELLANT,
v.
CARSON BENNETT WRIGHT, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1979-02-13
No. 77-2044
Before PEARSON, BARKDULL and KEHOE, JJ.
367 So. 2d 1070 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1979) Caution
Cited by 13 cases

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Synopsis

The Florida District Court of Appeal affirmed summary judgment for an architect in a negligence action brought by an injured construction worker. The court held that an architect's duty is limited to periodic inspection for compliance with plans and specifications, not day-to-day supervision or enforcement of safety regulations, which remain the employer's responsibility.


Holding

An architect whose employment contract limits supervision to periodic verification of compliance with plans and specifications is not liable for the employer's failure to comply with safety regulations. The architect is not responsible for supervising day-to-day work or controlling construction methods unless the contract explicitly imposes such duties, and liability would only arise from negligent performance of actual contractual obligations.


Headnotes

[1] A contract for architectural services does not impose a duty on the architect to supervise the day-to-day work of a contractor or to ensure compliance with safety regulat…

[2] An architect's contractual duty of supervision is generally limited to verifying that construction conforms to plans and specifications, not controlling the methods of co…

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Key Quotes

“Architect will advise Owner in writing of any omissions, substitutions, defects and deficiencies noted in the work of Contractor but does not guaranty the performance of the Contractor or any Sub-contractors. Supervision of Architect is to be distinguished from the continuous personal supervision to be obtained by a resident inspector.”

Establishes the limited scope of the architect's contractual duties and clarifies that supervision means periodic inspection, not continuous oversight.

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Facts & Procedural History

Ronald Vorndran, an employee of a subcontractor, was injured on a construction job. The architect's contract obligated him to visit the project weekly…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

We hold that a summary judgment was properly entered for an architect in an action brought by an employee of a subcontractor, who was injured on a construction job.

The contract between the parties, in reference to the responsibility of the architect, reads in part as follows: ** “Section 2. “The Architect agrees to provide all architectural, engineering, consulting and decorating services as hereinafter described, except such field engineering services as may be employed and paid for by the Contractor. Architect shall provide all landscape design and services of a landscape architect in connection therewith.

Architect’s services shall include all services already performed for owner in connection with said building and this agreement shall supersede and void all prior agreements by and between the parties hereto for architectural services in connection with said building. “Section 3. “Architect’s services shall include all plans, the preparation of preliminary studies, working drawings, specifications, large scale and full size scale drawings that may be required, supervision of the work and inspection during the guaranty period. * * * ** “Section 8. “Architect will advise Owner in writing of any omissions, substitutions, defects and deficiencies noted in the work of Contractor but does not guaranty the performance of the Contractor or any Sub-contractors.

Supervision of Architect is to be distinguished from the continuous personal supervision to be obtained by a resident inspector. Architect or his agents shall visit the project once a week or oftener when the nature and progress of the work and the interests of the Owner require.

During the guaranty period, Architect shall inspect the project for evidence of faulty material and workmanship.

The project in general shall be inspected on or about the ninth month after completion and in addition, Architect shall make such other inspections and perform services as may be necessary and incidental to the requirement of the drawings and specifications.” ** [emphasis added] This did not impose a duty on the architect to supervise the day-to-day work or to determine whether or not safety regulations were complied with.

It was the prime responsibility of the architect to determine that the construction was completed in accordance with the plans and specifications.

Garden City Floral Co. Inc. v. Hunt, 126 Mont. 537, 255 P. 2d 352 (1953); Day v. National U. S.

Radiator Corporation, 241 La. 288, 128 So. 2d 660 (1961); Clinton v. Boem, 139 App.Div. 73, 124 N.Y.S. 789 (1910); Cf.

Miller v. DeWitt, 37 Ill. 273, 226 N.E. 2d 360 (1967).

It is generally the prime responsibility of the employer to comply with the safety regulations.

Section 440.56, Florida Statutes (1971).

The architect, therefore, would not normally be liable for the failure of the employer to comply with safety regulations, unless his contract of employment for supervision imposes upon him a duty and responsibility to supervise and/or control the actual method of construction utilized by the contractor. Greer v. Bennett, 237 So. 2d 311 (Fla. 4th DCA 1970); Conklin v. Cohen, 287 So. 2d 56 (Fla. 1973).

In such a case his liability would be predicated on the negligent performance of his contractual duties.

However, in the instant case, the architect’s contract of employment for supervision only obligates the architect to visit the construction site periodically to verify that the construction is in accordance with drawings and specifications.

He has no control over the method of construction utilized and there is no showing that he attempted to do so.

Based on these undisputed facts, the architect cannot be held liable for any failure of the contractor to comply with required safety regulations.

Day v. National U. S.

Radiator Corporation, supra; Clinton v. Boem, supra.

Therefore, the summary final judgment appealed herein is affirmed.

Affirmed.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • City OF Miami v. Perez, 509 So. 2d 343 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987)
    …ied with the plans and specifications for the construction. Show v. Department of Transportation, 468 So. 2d 422 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985); Coudry v. City of Titusville, 438 So. 2d 197 (Fla. 5th DCA 1983); Van Ness, 393 So. 2d at 1017; Vorndran v. Wright, 367 So. 2d 1070 (Fla. 3d DCA), cert. denied, 378 So. 2d 350 (Fla.1979). These cases recognize that the presence of an on-site inspector representing the owner’s interest does not mean that the owner is actively participating in the construction to the extent that…
  • Juno Indus., Inc. v. Heery Int'l, 646 So. 2d 818 (Fla. 5th DCA 1994)
    …o safety, the appellants argue. If HPM contracted for the duty to ensure safety, or if HPM contracted to be responsible to supervise and/or control the actual methods of construction utilized by the contractor, it may be liable. Vorndran v. Wright, 367 So. 2d 1070, 1071 (Fla. 3d DCA), cert. dnied, 378 So. 2d 350 (Fla.1979). However, a review of the contracts between Disney and HPM does not reveal any contractual provision that imposed a duty upon HPM to provide for worker safety. HPM’s duties have been descri…
  • Swartz v. Ford, 469 So. 2d 232 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985)
    …poses upon Ford a duty and responsibility to supervise and/or control the actual method of construction utilized by B.E. & K., it cannot be held liable for that contractor’s failure to comply with required safety regulations. See Vorndran v. Wright, 367 So. 2d 1070, 1071 (Fla. 3d DCA 1979). See also Show v. Department of Transportation, 468 So. 2d 422 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985) (no liability when contract does not impose explicit duty to monitor, inspect, and correct violations by the contractor). Ford’s contractual…

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