S. L. Rowland Construction Co. v. Beall Pipe

540 P.2d 912, 14 Wash. App. 297, 1975 Wash. App. LEXIS 1609
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedSeptember 15, 1975
DocketNo. 2363-1
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 540 P.2d 912 (S. L. Rowland Construction Co. v. Beall Pipe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
S. L. Rowland Construction Co. v. Beall Pipe, 540 P.2d 912, 14 Wash. App. 297, 1975 Wash. App. LEXIS 1609 (Wash. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

Andersen, J.—

Facts Of Case

The City of Everett, finding itself with a badly deteriorated 22-mile long wooden pipeline leading from its water source at Lake Chaplain, called for bids on the construction of a new steel pipeline.

S. L. Rowland Construction Company (Rowland) was the low bidder of 13 bidders on a liy2-mile-long segment of the new line. This was the portion of the pipeline running underground from Woods Creek, north of Monroe, to Jones Hill, north of Snohomish. Rowland contracted with the City of Everett (the City) to construct a 51-inch steel pipeline along this route for $2,401,353.60.

After a portion of the line had been built, Rowland, finding its people and equipment mired down in mud and beset with other problems, pulled off the job and left it to the surety on its preformance bond to arrange for completion of the work.

The segment of pipeline covered by this contract was eventually completed, although nearly a full year behind schedule.

Rowland and its surety, United Pacific Insurance Company, primarily blamed the City for the difficulties encountered on the job and brought this suit against the City. They also joined the pipe manufacturer, Beall Pipe and Tank Corporation (Beall), as a defendant. For convenience, we will herein refer to the plaintiffs as though Rowland were thé sole plaintiff.

The City paid $2,388,343 on the Rowland contract. Rowland, however, claimed it was entitled to over a million dollars in additional compensation because of added work and expense to which it had been put.

Rowland’s position was and is that its added work, expense and much of the delay were attributable to the City [299]*299having made extensive changes in the plans with respect to grade and elevation of the pipe installation after the contract was let. These changes, say Rowland, required extensive redesigning of the pipe sections and caused substantial delay in the manufacture and delivery of the pipe and hence delay of the entire job.

The case was preassigned to the trial judge herein and he held well over a week of pretrial hearings.

As a consequence of such hearings, a pretrial order was entered. In that order, the court reduced all of Rowland’s allegations to some 35 specific numbered claims. The pretrial order also contained the City’s contentions with respect to each of Rowland’s 35 claims as well as such of the facts the court had determined at the hearings to be uncontroverted.

During the pretrial proceedings, the court ruled against certain of Rowland’s claims as a matter of law. It also granted Beall’s motion for a summary judgment of dismissal. Rowland subsequently appealed the Beall dismissal. That appeal has since been dismissed and Beall is no longer a party to this action.

This case was tried to a jury. The trial lasted almost 3 months. Some 23 of Rowland’s claims for additional compensation were submitted to the jury for determination. The jury was accorded the use of the court’s pretrial order in its deliberations. That 45-page order, as amended by the court’s rulings made before and during the trial, was admitted as exhibit No. 274 at the trial and the jury was instructed in its use.

The jury returned what was essentially a defense verdict in that it found for the City on all of the major issues. There was also, however, a verdict in the sum of $12,450 in favor of the plaintiff Rowland against the City. It was stipulated by counsel that the City was entitled to a credit against this in the amount of $6,632.82. This resulted in final judgment being entered in favor of Rowland against the City for the net sum of $5,817.18 and taxable costs.

[300]*300The plaintiff Rowland, appeals to this court from certain rulings of law made by the trial court.

The record brought up with the appeal, while voluminous is nonetheless not a verbatim record of the entire proceedings below. It is, however, properly certified' in accordance with CARO A 37 as containing all material facts, matters and proceedings.

The City also cross-appeals on one issue.

Contract Provisions

The written contract signed by the parties consists of a basic 83-page contract document together with certain addenda thereto and plans and specifications incorporated therein by reference.

Most of the contract clauses here in question are themselves of such length that to set them all out fully in this opinion would contribute more to redundance than to clarity.

An outline of the contract provisions pertinent to the issues on this appeal follows.

As stated, Rowland agreed to build an 11%-mile segment of the City’s new pipeline for the bid price.

Rowland acknowledged in the agreement that it had been instructed to investigate all of the factors involved in the work and that it could not claim damages or extra compensation by reason of any error or omission made by it in the preparation of its bid. (Clauses Nos. 5 and 6.)

• The contract provided:

The quantities shown in the Proposal are approximate only and are for the purpose of comparing bids. The City of Everett expressly reserves .the right to increase or decrease any of the quantities and to make reasonable changes in designs without being responsible to the Contractor in any way for extra costs or for anticipated profits. The Contractor will be paid for the actual quantities of work finally installed or performed at the applicable unit prices stated in his Proposal.

(Clause 7.)

If unforeseen conditions required major changes, written change orders were to be furnished to Rowland. If the [301]*301parties could not then agree on the compensation for such extra work, it was to be paid for by the City on the basis of cost plus 15 percent (Clauses Nos. 8 and 9.)

Rowland waived any claim for damages due to hindrance or delay and the City agreed to grant time extensions equivalent to time so lost. A formula was provided by which time loss was to be calculated and by which it would be determined what extensions would be granted. Time extensions were to be confirmed in writing by the project engineer. (Clauses Nos. 15 and 16.)

The entire project was to be completed within 400 calendar days after notice to commence was issued subject, however, to the extensions granted for time loss caused by inclement weather and delay in obtaining delivery of materials. (Addendum No. 2.) Rowland agreed to pay the City liquidated damages of $150 per day for each day the job ran past the designated completion date. (Clause No. 17 and Addendum No. 2.)

Periodic payments to the contractor were provided for as the work progressed, with the City retaining 10 percent of the total contract amount until 30 days after the contract was completed and accepted by the City. (Clause No. 14.)

Issues

Issue One. Where a construction contract between a municipality and a contractor contemplates that changes can be made in the work to be done and provides for payment of extra work at a specified rate, does the contractor that sues the municipality for extra work have the right to establish its claimed damages by the total cost method, i.e., by proving all of its costs over the entire job and then asking to recover all such costs together with an additional sum to cover overhead and profit based on quantum mer-uit?

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Bluebook (online)
540 P.2d 912, 14 Wash. App. 297, 1975 Wash. App. LEXIS 1609, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/s-l-rowland-construction-co-v-beall-pipe-washctapp-1975.