Can someone explain "No exception taken"?
Can someone explain the "no exception taken" stamp language here and how it fits into the context of conforming drawing with potentially risky means and methods by the contractor?
Thanks!!
Minquan
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Minquan,
The important thing to understand here is that means and methods are ALWAYS the responsibility of the contractor and not the architect. We don't get involved with means and methods. In this example, everything else in the shop drawing was found to be in general conformance with our drawings other than the means and methods. Since it is not our responsibility to be reviewing those, this is why the shop drawing is marked "no exception taken" on our end.
If in fact the means and methods that the architect felt were risky turn out to be proven so, that's on the contractor - not us. Commenting on means and methods could also expose us to liability in this case.
Hope that helps.
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The term "no exceptions taken" means that we have in fact looked at/reviewed the shop drawings and we don't see anything particular that is wrong with them. The reason that "approved" and "accepted" are wrong is because they imply that we swear by these drawings and that our approval will make us responsible. At the end of the day the shop drawings are not the responsibly of the architect so why open ourselves up to the liability.
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Every architect’s office has a shop drawing review stamp. One way to prepare for ARE 5.0 is to read and understand all choices on that stamp, and the cover-your-back language/ fine print on that stamp, typically it includes some key phases from an AIA document, such as the architect’s review of shop drawing does not include the dimensions and quantities of the items submitted, etc.
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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Qiang,
yes, normally architectural firms have predefined stamps, with all drawing review answers listed with a corresponding check-box.
You do not have to make up a response, it is already there, like a multiple choice.
However, if you do Google "submittal stamps", or similar searches, you will see that "Approved" and "Accepted" language is very frequent, which is unfortunate, since it is wrong.
Despite I have done my share of submittals reviews, this would have thrown me off as well, since I cannot remember exactly the wording of the stamps I have used in the past, although I do remember the option "No Exception Taken" was the way to "approve" the submittal at at least one firm I worked for.
Here are a couple of samples stamps I found:
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If the submittals from the contractor are NOT required by the construction documents, the architect can return them to the contractor without taking any action.
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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No exception taken is the correct language.
When we review shop drawings, most of the time, the contractor submit 6 sets, we often mark up one set, and then ask a junior member of our team to copy the mark-ups on the remaining 5 sets and ship them to the proper parties. If you have dealt with shop drawings in a senior or junior capacity, you will know which choice to pick. This question makes sense and is testing something an architect does in almost every project.
See link below for explanation of the term:
https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/no-exceptions-taken
Gang Chen, Author, Architect, LEED AP BD+C (GreenExamEducation.com)
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Hey all!
Thanks for sparking this discussion on "No Exception Taken"! I appreciate these insights, especially Gang Chen’s point about the importance of understanding the predefined stamps used in shop drawing reviews.
It’s spot-on that terms like "Approved" or "Accepted" can be misleading, as they imply a level of liability architects don’t typically assume. To add to this, "No Exception Taken" signals that the submittal aligns with the design intent, but it doesn’t absolve contractors of responsibility for dimensions, quantities, or means and methods, as noted in standard AIA language.
This nuance is critical for architects to grasp, especially when navigating risky contractor proposals.
For anyone studying for the ARE, I recently recorded a free Architect Exam podcast diving deeper into construction submittals and the review process, including the significance of terms like "No Exception Taken." You can check out the episode and more details in our blog post here: https://academy2.youngarchitect.com/construction-submittals-no-exceptions-taken/
Wishing you all the best with your exam prep!
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