Design Changes Hike U.S. Courthouse Costs: GAO 

12/17/2024

Federal courthouse construction projects usually cost hundreds of millions of dollars. “The U.S. Courts' Design Guide” is intended to ensure these projects result in functional and cost-effective courthouses. 

Unfortunately, according to a recent report from the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), the U.S. Courts did not fully collaborate with its agency partners — or get input from multiple court officials who use the courthouses — when updating the guide in 2021. The GAO found that changes in the update will increase courthouse size and costs. It is recommended that the U.S. Courts reassess the need for the 2021 guide changes. among other things. 

The judiciary made multiple changes in its 2021 revision of the guide, including 16 the GAO determined could affect the size and cost of courthouse projects. GAO analyzed the potential effects of these changes for six recently or nearly completed courthouses and one planned courthouse designed under the 2007 Design Guide. It estimated that the changes would have increased the size of these selected courthouses by almost 6 percent and construction costs by approximately 12 percent, on average, had the courthouses been built using the new 2021 guide. 

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In part, the increases are due to the increase in judiciary circulation requirements — the amount of space required for movement of the public, court staff and prisoners. Judiciary officials said the increased circulation requirements were necessary to enhance safety and address concerns that the 2007 circulation requirements did not provide enough space. 

GAO is making several recommendations, including that the judiciary document a process to ensure effective collaboration when updating the guide and, in collaboration with General Services Administration, use relevant information to reassess the need for increased circulation requirements.  

Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.