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HomeEducation CodeCh. 3Art. 3§ 17316 School District Architect Contracts

§ 17316 School District Architect Contracts

Education Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 17316 School District Architect Contracts

Key Takeaways

  • •School districts own the plans and drawings made by architects or engineers for their projects, but only for that specific project.
  • •Architects and engineers keep the copyright to their work unless they sign a paper saying they give it up.
  • •If the school wants to use the same plans again for another project, they need to talk about it in the contract first.
  • •If the school uses the plans again and hires a new architect, they have to protect the original architect from any problems that come up.

Example

A school district hires an architect to design a new classroom building. After the building is done, the school wants to use the same design for another building on a different campus.

The school owns the plans for the first building, but if they want to reuse them, they need to check their contract with the architect. If they reuse the plans and hire a new architect, the school has to make sure the original architect isn’t blamed if something goes wrong with the new building.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 17316 School District Architect Contracts

(a) Any contract entered into by and between the governing board of any school district and any certified architect or structural engineer pursuant to Section 17302 shall provide that all plans, including, but not limited to, record drawings, specifications, and estimates prepared pursuant thereto, shall be and remain the property of the school district for the purposes of repair, maintenance, renovation, modernization, or other purposes, only as they relate to the project for which the certified architect or structural engineer was retained. This subdivision does not preclude the school district from using the plans, record drawings, specifications, or estimates related to the project for the purposes of additions, alignments, or other development on the site. (b) The contract set forth in subdivision (a) does not transfer or waive the certified architect’s or structural engineer’s copyrights over these documents, including, but not limited to, all common law, statutory, and other reserved rights, unless the certified architect or structural engineer expressly transfers or waives these rights through the written contract, including, but not limited to, a written addendum or amendment. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if the school district proposes to reuse the plans prepared by the certified architect or structural engineer within the school district, the contract entered into between the school district and the certified architect or structural engineer shall specify the terms and conditions for the reuse. If a school district reuses the plans prepared by the certified architect or structural engineer and retains another certified architect or structural engineer for the preparation of those plans for the reuse, the school district shall indemnify and hold harmless the original certified architect or structural engineer, and their consultants, agents, and employees, from and against any claims, damages, losses, and expenses, including attorney’s fees, arising out of or resulting from, in whole or in part, the reuse. (Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 28, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2006.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

contractdamagesschoolpropertyclaimemployeemaintenancerenovation

Related Statutes

  • § 79020 Community College Holiday Closures
  • § 41327 School District Financial Recovery
  • § 51421.5 Homeless Foster Youth Exam Fees
  • § 51422 High School Equivalency Results
  • § 56240 Special Education Staff Training

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Education Code. Section 17316.
View Official Source