This exploration of the basics of contracts as applied to the construction industry focuses upon the different types of contracts and their fundamentals, on the impact of information technology on contracts and contracting, and on the effect of contracts on the management, administration, and the costs of construction work. Using the published standard forms of construction contracts as models and guides, it helps students develop an understanding not only of the contract process in general, but also of the different kinds of construction contracts and of why one should be used rather than another in a given situation.