What is a contract and when would I need one?
Contracts are used where a legal agreement must be made between a client and a supplier regarding the requirements and conditions of a project. The most well known forms of contract come from the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT). Those with knowledge of new build projects will no doubt have heard of IFC98, Intermediate Form of Contract, 1998 Edition. This contract requires certain personnel to be named in the contract, notably Client, Contract Administrator (CA), Architect, Planning Supervisor (PS) and Prinicipal Contractor. On smaller projects the CA, PS (health & safety, not planning permission) and Architect roles can be assumed by one project manager. This type of contract is generally too cumbersome for domestic alteration works. It is usually only used where contract values are above £250k. Where a client is constructing a large dwelling or small development however it is ideal. There are other types of contract available from the JCT, namely IC (intermediate building contract) Min
