Construction plans are a critical part of any North Carolina building project since they outline the structure of the building, the stability of its foundation, and the steps the builder will take to deal with potential risks. When a plan is deficient, the project may fail, leading to costly repairs and possibly placing those who use the building in grave danger. An architect and a contractor working on a church building in another state are facing a significant lawsuit after the owner of the project discovered multiple construction defects in the plan design.
After more than 40 years of using a small, insufficient building for its needs, the church paid the architect over $108,000 in full to design a sanctuary for the congregation. Some months after work began on the project, church leaders asked an engineer to review the plans. They were shocked when the engineer discovered more than 80 defects, involving these and other issues:
- Soil pressure
- Flood elevation
- Foundation
- Wood joists
- Weight-bearing walls
- Roof truss connectors
- Roof panels
The engineer noted that a number of the construction defects could lead to catastrophic failure, including the collapse of the roof. Work came to an abrupt halt, and the builders left the building standing incomplete. After months of trying unsuccessfully to contact the architect and contractor, the church leaders decided to attempt to recover their losses through a civil suit.