I understand that C191 is considered a “true” contract that is signed by all parties involved (the owner, the architect, and the contractor), whereas the alternative method uses A195 between the owner/contractor, and B195 between the owner and architect, with both A195 and B195 referencing A295.
What I am fuzzy about is how the two different contractual methods impact the responsibility and liability it presents to each party. Can someone give me example scenarios in which the responsibility/liability would play out differently, depending on which contracts were used?
Also, more generally, how do the parties involved decide at the outset which to use?
Thanks!
@wan.andrea The key difference is the contractual relationship. C191 is a single agreement signed by the owner, architect, and contractor, so risks and responsibilities are shared more collaboratively. A195/B195 (with incorporated A295) uses separate owner-architect and owner-contractor agreements, so liability is addressed through those individual contracts.
For example, if a design error causes a cost overrun, under C191 the team works together within the multi-party agreement, while under A195/B195 the owner may pursue the architect or contractor separately, depending on responsibility.
The choice generally comes down to whether the owner prefers a collaborative, shared-risk approach (C191) or more traditional, separate contractual relationships (A195/B195).
Check out this reference for a detailed breakdown of each contract type and how they relate to one another: * Integrated Project Delivery Family - Learn - ACD Operations*
Hope this helps!
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Product Coordinator
Black Spectacles
@wan.andrea @kiaragalicinao C191 Multi-Party Agreement - IDP is not one of the AIA contract documents listed in the study resources of the ARE 5.0 Guidelines (June 2026 version p.122). Nor is C195 Standard Form Single Purpose Entity Agreement for Integrated Project Delivery and its related documents. So, while it is good to understand these generally, it seems like they won’t test us on them specifically. @kiaragalicinao Do you agree?
@Citrillion Yes, that is correct. Since C191 and the C195 family are not among the AIA Contract Documents specifically listed in the current ARE 5.0 Guidelines study resources, I wouldn’t prioritize memorizing the details of these agreements for the exam. The more important takeaway is understanding the general characteristics of IPD—early collaboration, shared risk/reward, and how the contractual relationships differ from more traditional delivery methods.
Note that A195 and B195 are listed in the ARE 5.0 study resources, so those would be worth understanding in depth.
Kiara