Thanks for your question @xinruizhang!
Yes, the GC is responsible for the delay. Under A201, subcontractors are entirely the GC’s responsibility, so a framing subcontractor shutting down—regardless of the reason—is a GC-caused delay. This means the GC is not entitled to additional time simply because their subcontractor failed.
If the GC proposes an alternate structural system that costs more, the Owner only pays for it if they choose to approve the change. A GC cannot push additional cost onto the Owner to recover from a delay that is the GC’s own responsibility. If the Owner does approve it, the change is handled through a Change Order with agreed cost and time adjustments.
If the GC does not propose an alternate or take other corrective action, they remain liable for the delay and any resulting cost impacts. The GC has a contractual obligation to manage subcontractors and mitigate delays; failing to do so keeps responsibility squarely on them.
The Architect’s role is to evaluate the proposed alternate with the consultants, determine whether it meets design intent and code requirements, advise the Owner on cost and schedule implications, and perform Additional Services for any redesign or AHJ resubmittals. The Architect does not decide whether the Owner should accept the alternate—only provides the information needed for the Owner to make that decision.
If you haven’t already seen - we’ve just released our newest study material, Real-World Practice, which translates our most effective Virtual Workshop content into self-paced exercises on your dashboard. This particular exercise’s thread is linked here in case you want to check it out and get additional practice on the topic!
Hope this helps!
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Product Coordinator
Black Spectacles