On any structural repair project in South Florida, demolition will reveal conditions that the pre-bid inspection, probe testing, and drawings did not fully capture. Rebar corrosion that extends further into the slab than the survey suggested. A post-tension tendon whose sheathing is compromised across a longer section than the visible anchor corrosion indicated. A waterproofing membrane failure that continues past the marked boundary of the repair zone. When that happens, the engineer cannot simply let the contractor proceed under the original specification — the original specification was written for conditions that no longer match what is in front of them. The mechanism for updating the instruction set in real time is the field directive, and understanding what it is, when it is issued, and what the contract should say about it is essential for any board or property manager managing a repair scope.
What a field directive is
A field directive is a written instruction issued by the engineer of record during active construction, directing the contractor to perform work differently than the original drawings or specifications described, or to perform additional work not included in the original scope. It is issued in response to field conditions — what demolition exposes, what an inspection finds mid-project, what a material submittal review requires to be changed. Field directives carry the same contractual authority as the original specifications. A contractor who receives one is required to acknowledge it and proceed accordingly. One who deviates from a field directive without the engineer's written approval has deviated from the specification, regardless of what rationale they offer.
What a field directive contains
- A description of the field condition that triggered the directive — what demolition revealed, what differs from the pre-bid survey
- A reference to the original specification section the directive modifies or supplements
- The revised or additional repair method the contractor is directed to use
- Any product substitutions or additions not in the original specification
- A quantity estimate where possible — additional square footage, additional tendon locations, additional linear footage of joint repair
- The engineer's signature and the date of issuance
How field directives connect to change orders
A field directive directs the work. A change order adjusts the contract price. These are two separate documents, and both should exist for any scope change that arises during construction. The field directive says what to do; the change order says what it costs. On a properly administered project, the contractor receives the field directive, performs the directed work, and submits a change order request with supporting documentation: the quantity log from the field, the unit prices pre-agreed in the contract for the most common additional work types, and the field directive number as the reference. The owner reviews and approves the change order before the next pay application is processed. When this sequence breaks down — when a contractor performs field directive work without submitting corresponding change orders, or submits them all at the end of the project — the board is left reviewing a large number at once with no opportunity to question quantities or pricing in real time. That is a structurally disadvantageous position that contract language can prevent.
What the contract should require
The repair contract should address field directives explicitly in four ways. First, all field directives must be issued in writing by the engineer of record — verbal direction from a field inspector or from the contractor's project manager does not constitute a directive and does not authorize additional cost. Second, the contractor must acknowledge the directive in writing within 24 hours of receipt. Third, no work performed under a field directive may be invoiced until a corresponding owner-approved change order exists. Fourth — and most importantly — unit prices for the most common additional work types must be established in the contract at signing, not negotiated after the directive is issued. Pre-agreed unit prices for additional concrete patch per square foot, additional tendon repair per location, and additional sealant per linear foot transform a potential dispute into a routine calculation. A contract that is silent on field directives is a contract written for a project where demolition reveals nothing unexpected — and that project does not exist in South Florida structural repair.