RUS Form 282 is a subcontractor agreement published by the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) for work performed under a Construction Contract or an Equipment Contract. A Contractor and a Subcontractor use it to put in writing that the Subcontractor will carry out certain obligations the Contractor owes the Owner under that contract. On FillingPDF you can fill out the form online and download or print the completed PDF; the original PDF is published by the agency at forms.sc.egov.usda.gov, and the agreement takes effect only after the written approvals the form describes.
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What is RUS 282?
RUS Form 282, printed with the title Subcontract (Under Construction or Equipment Contracts) and listed here as Subcontractor Agreement, is the Rural Utilities Service agreement by which a Contractor passes certain obligations under its Construction Contract or Equipment Contract to a Subcontractor.
The form identifies the Contractor (a partnership, individual or corporation), the Subcontractor, the Owner, the date of the main Contract, what the Contract provides for, and the project's Rural Utilities Service designation. It then sets seven sections:
- Section 1: the Subcontractor performs the Contractor's obligations under the Contract, which is made part of the agreement by reference, for the work described there.
- Section 2: the work is carried out as directed by the Engineer of the Owner, in full accordance with the Contract.
- Section 3: the Subcontractor maintains the insurance the Contract requires and holds the Contractor and the Owner harmless from claims for injury or property damage caused by its negligence, default or misconduct.
- Section 4: the sum the Contractor pays and how it is payable.
- Section 5: completion within the time in the Contract, and the same terms for additional or altered work caused by changes in the Contract.
- Section 6: a Performance Bond from the Subcontractor, if the Contractor requires one.
- Section 7: the agreement is not effective until the Owner, the Surety (if any) and the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service consent and approve in writing.
The form carries OMB No. 0572-0059 and the printed edition mark RUS FORM 282 (Rev. 11-53).
Who needs to file RUS 282?
The form is for a Contractor that has entered a Construction Contract or Equipment Contract on a project bearing a Rural Utilities Service designation, and that wants a Subcontractor to perform certain obligations under that contract. The Contractor and the Subcontractor both sign it.
Other parties approve it rather than sign as principals:
- The Owner named in the Contract consents and approves in writing, signing through its President.
- The Surety company, if any, furnishing the Performance Bond the Contract requires, also consents and approves. The form says to attach a power of attorney in favor of the person signing for the Surety.
- The Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service must approve in writing as well.
The Subcontractor furnishes its own Performance Bond only if the Contractor requires one. Approval by the Owner and the Administrator does not release the Contractor from its duties to the Owner under the Contract, and does not release the Surety from its obligations under the Performance Bond.
When to file RUS 282
The form is used once the Contractor has entered the Construction Contract or Equipment Contract and wants to subcontract part of the work. It is dated on the line "made this day of 20", and the Contract's own date is entered in the first WHEREAS clause. No separate due date is printed on it.
The agreement does not become effective until the Owner, the Surety (if any) and the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service have consented to and approved it in writing. Section 6 ties any Performance Bond from the Subcontractor to that approval: the Subcontractor furnishes it, if the Contractor requires it, after approval by those parties. Section 5 requires the work to be finished within the time specified in the Contract.
Documents you need
- Power of attorney in favor of the person signing for the Surety company, attached when a Surety signs to consent to and approve the agreement.
- Performance Bond from the Subcontractor, furnished to the Contractor only if the Contractor requires it, in form and substance satisfactory to the Contractor, after the required approvals.
How to fill out RUS 282
Enter the agreement date
In the opening line, fill in the day, month and year the agreement is made, after "AGREEMENT made this day of 20".
Identify the Contractor
Enter the Contractor's name and mark whether it is a partnership, individual or corporation. The form calls this party the "Contractor".
Identify the Subcontractor
Enter the Subcontractor's name and its location where the form says "of". The form calls this party the "Subcontractor".
Describe the main Contract
In the first WHEREAS clause, enter the date of the Construction Contract or Equipment Contract, the Owner's name, what the Contract provides for, and the project's Rural Utilities Service designation.
State the work in Section 1
Describe the work for which the Subcontractor will perform the Contractor's obligations under the Contract.
Review Sections 2, 3, 5 and 6
These sections are printed text: direction by the Owner's Engineer, insurance and hold-harmless duties, completion time and changes, and the optional Performance Bond. Confirm both parties accept them as printed.
Enter payment terms in Section 4
Enter the sum the Contractor will pay the Subcontractor in the dollar blank and describe how it is payable.
Sign for Contractor and Subcontractor
Each party signs on the "By" line and enters its title in the TITLE line beneath it.
Arrange Owner and Surety approvals
The Owner signs by its President with a date, and the Surety company, if any, signs with a date. Attach a power of attorney in favor of the person signing for the Surety.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check every blank against the Contract, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Remember the agreement is not effective until the Owner, the Surety (if any) and the Administrator approve it in writing.
How to submit RUS 282
The form prints no mailing address, portal or appointment rule of its own. Its route is the approval chain in Section 7: after the Contractor and the Subcontractor sign, the agreement is consented to and approved in writing by the Owner, the Surety company (if any) and the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service, and it is not effective until then.
- Owner: signs under CONSENTED TO AND APPROVED, by its President, with a date and seal line.
- Surety company: signs under its own CONSENTED TO AND APPROVED block with a date and seal line. Attach a power of attorney in favor of the person signing for the Surety.
- Administrator: approval is required in writing; the form provides no signature block for the Administrator, so ask the Rural Utilities Service how it records its approval.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the approval and delivery steps above and any instructions from the Owner and RUS.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating the agreement as effective after the Contractor and Subcontractor sign; Section 7 makes it ineffective until the Owner, the Surety (if any) and the Administrator approve in writing.
- Omitting the power of attorney for the person signing for the Surety; the form says to attach it.
- Leaving the Contract date, the Owner's name or the Rural Utilities Service project designation blank in the WHEREAS clause, so the agreement cannot be tied to the Contract.
- Entering no description of the work in Section 1 or no sum and payment terms in Section 4.
- Assuming Owner and Administrator approval releases the Contractor or the Surety; Section 7 says it does not.
- Agreeing to a completion time different from the one in the Contract; Section 5 requires completion within the time the Contract specifies.
- Leaving the Contractor or Subcontractor signature and title lines unsigned or untitled.
Frequently asked questions
What is RUS Form 282 used for?
RUS Form 282 is a subcontract under a Construction Contract or Equipment Contract on a Rural Utilities Service project. The Subcontractor agrees to perform certain obligations the Contractor owes the Owner, and the Contract is made part of the agreement by reference.
Is the subcontractor agreement effective once both parties sign?
No. Section 7 says the agreement is not effective until the Owner, the Surety company (if any) and the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service consent to and approve it in writing. Their approval does not release the Contractor or the Surety.
Who signs RUS Form 282?
The Contractor and the Subcontractor sign, each with a By line and a title. The Owner signs under CONSENTED TO AND APPROVED, by its President, and the Surety company signs in its own block. The Surety's signer needs an attached power of attorney.
Does the Subcontractor have to provide a Performance Bond?
Only if the Contractor requires it. Under Section 6, after approval by the Owner, the Surety (if any) and the Administrator, the Subcontractor furnishes the Contractor a Performance Bond in form and substance satisfactory to the Contractor.
Can I fill out the subcontractor agreement online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not connected to RUS, and does not file or submit the agreement; approvals and delivery follow the form's process.
What insurance does the Subcontractor need under Form 282?
Section 3 requires the Subcontractor to maintain all insurance required under the Contract. It must also hold the Contractor and the Owner harmless from claims for injury or property damage arising from its negligence, default or misconduct.
How much time does the Subcontractor have to finish the work?
Section 5 requires completion to the satisfaction of the Contractor and the Owner within the time specified in the Contract. The form sets no separate schedule; additional work caused by Contract changes is done on the same terms.
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