When a contractor discovers an unexpected hidden condition on a job site, the contractor is allowed to disturb or alter the condition first and then provide written notice to the owner afterward, as long as the notice is sent within the required timeframe.

While trenching for underground feeders on a commercial site, an electrical crew strikes an unmarked, concrete-encased duct bank that is not shown on the site plans. It completely blocks the planned trench path and will require significant extra labor to bypass. To properly preserve the right to a contract adjustment, what is the most critical action the contractor must take before the crew takes any further action in that area?

Match each action involved in the concealed condition notice process with its underlying purpose.

An electrical crew encounters an unexpected structural obstacle hidden behind a wall that will require extra labor and materials to bypass. To properly manage this concealed condition and preserve the right to a contract adjustment, arrange the following actions in the correct operational sequence.

An electrical crew uncovers an unexpected, concrete-encased obstruction while trenching. The site foreman proposes immediately breaking through the obstruction to maintain the project schedule, planning to submit a claim for the extra labor later. Upon evaluating this plan against standard contract requirements, the project manager rejects it, determining that doing so would destroy critical evidence needed for a contract adjustment. The manager correctly insists that formal notice must be provided to the owner and architect before the condition is _________.