CLA CLA Professional Practice & Ethics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which organization administers the Landscape Architect Registration Examination (LARE) in the United States?
- American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
- Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) (Correct answer)
- National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
- US Green Building Council (USGBC)
Correct answer: Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB)
CLARB develops and administers the LARE, the national licensing examination required to become a registered landscape architect in most US states.
Question 2: Under what circumstance may a licensed landscape architect legally seal documents in a state where they are not licensed?
- If they have 10+ years of experience
- Generally they may not — licensure is state-specific (Correct answer)
- If a licensed engineer co-signs the documents
- If the project is under $500,000 in construction value
Correct answer: Generally they may not — licensure is state-specific
Landscape architects must hold a valid license in each state where they seal documents; practicing without a license is illegal regardless of experience.
Question 3: What does the term 'standard of care' mean in landscape architecture professional practice?
- The minimum fee a licensed LA must charge
- The level of skill and diligence ordinarily exercised by competent practitioners under similar circumstances (Correct answer)
- The maximum liability coverage required by state law
- The code of ethics published by ASLA
Correct answer: The level of skill and diligence ordinarily exercised by competent practitioners under similar circumstances
Standard of care is the legal benchmark against which a professional's conduct is measured — essentially, what a reasonable, competent practitioner would do in the same situation.
Question 4: A client asks a landscape architect to certify that construction was completed 'in substantial conformance' with the contract documents. What does this certification mean?
- Every detail was executed exactly as drawn
- The work generally conforms to the design intent with minor deviations (Correct answer)
- The contractor warrants the work for one year
- The LA personally inspected every stage of work
Correct answer: The work generally conforms to the design intent with minor deviations
Substantial conformance certification means the completed work generally follows the design intent; it does not mean every detail is perfect or that the LA provided continuous inspection.
Question 5: What is a 'Request for Information' (RFI) in the context of landscape architecture construction administration?
- A contractor's formal question about contract documents submitted to the design team for clarification (Correct answer)
- An owner's request for additional services
- A government permit inquiry
- A subcontractor bid solicitation
Correct answer: A contractor's formal question about contract documents submitted to the design team for clarification
An RFI is a written document from the contractor to the design team asking for clarification or additional information about the construction documents.
Question 6: Which delivery method has the owner contract separately with a designer and a contractor, with the designer typically managing construction administration?
- Design-build
- Construction manager at risk
- Design-bid-build (Correct answer)
- Integrated project delivery
Correct answer: Design-bid-build
In design-bid-build, the owner holds two sequential contracts — first with the designer, then with a contractor selected through competitive bidding.
CLA CLA Professional Practice & Ethics 1
Which organization administers the Landscape Architect Registration Examination (LARE) in the United States?