What does the Spearin Doctrine require from contractors regarding defects in bid documents?

The Spearin Doctrine requires that contractors can rely on the adequacy of the bid documents provided by the owner. Under this legal doctrine, if the owner provides plans and specifications that are found to be deficient or flawed, the contractor is entitled to expect that they can execute the work as intended without encountering unaddressed defects in the documents. Essentially, this doctrine places the risk of defects in the bid documents on the owner, thereby acknowledging that contractors should trust the information and designs supplied to them when formulating their bids.

The other choices do not align with the essence of the Spearin Doctrine. Ignoring obvious defects would contradict the expectation of reliability in the provided documents, while taking legal action against owners would not be a requirement under the doctrine but could be a recourse if significant issues arise later. Lastly, creating their own bid documents is not the role of contractors in this context; they are expected to adhere to what the owner provides. Thus, relying on the furnished information is the key principle of the Spearin Doctrine.