Full and Open Acquisition, in practice

FAR clauses/Part 36/Checked 15 Sep 2026

FAR 52.236-2
Differing Site Conditions

Clause date
APR 1984
Prescribed at
FAR 36.502. Insert in solicitations and contracts when a fixed-price construction contract or a fixed-price dismantling, demolition, or removal of improvements contract is contemplated and the contract amount is expected to exceed the SAT; the CO may insert it at or below the SAT.
Applies to
Fixed-price construction and fixed-price dismantling, demolition, or removal of improvements contracts above the SAT (optional at or below).
Flowdown
No flowdown required
52.236-2 contains no paragraph requiring its insertion in subcontracts. It is not listed in 52.244-6(c)(1) or 52.212-5(e)(1).
Full text
FAR 52.236-2 on Acquisition.gov

… (b) The Contracting Officer shall investigate the site conditions promptly after receiving the notice. If the conditions do materially so differ and cause an increase or decrease in the Contractor's cost of, or the time required for, performing any part of the work under this contract, whether or not changed as a result of the conditions, an equitable adjustment shall be made under this clause and the contract modified in writing accordingly. …

From the clause · Codified FAR · FAC 2026-01

Why it matters: Written notice has to go in promptly and before the conditions are disturbed, and no request for adjustment under the clause is allowed after final payment.

This is the codified text, not any agency's Revolutionary FAR Overhaul deviation. An agency running a class deviation may have this clause renumbered, rewritten or prescribed differently — check the deviation before you put a clause in a solicitation.

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