Contracts 'with quantities' are priced on the basis of drawings and firm bills of quantities. 'Without quantities' means a contract priced on the basis of drawings and usually another document, such as a specification or work schedules.
The Standard JCT Contract provides for the works to be designed or detailed on behalf of the Employer, and for the Employer to provide drawings and documentation to define the scope and quality of the works.
JCT does not allow service of the notice by email, whereas NEC allows service via a 'communication system' as defined in the contract. FIDIC does allow notices to be served electronically, but this must be specified in the Particular Conditions. NEC notices must also be sent to the Project Manager.
Broadly speaking, the JCT contract centres on liabilities and risk in the way a traditional contract would, whereas NEC commands and enables a proactive and collaborative approach to managing the contract. It is critical to understand the details of both contract types to assess their benefits and disadvantages.
JCT contracts facilitate the process of constructing buildings. In simple terms, contracts set out the responsibilities of all parties within the construction process and their obligations, so it is clear as to what work needs to be done, who is doing it, when are they doing it by, and for how much.
JCT contracts are written in complex legal language. This makes them difficult to understand without specialised knowledge. The problem with using complex language is that the meaning can be unclear to anyone without a legal background. This can lead to misunderstandings, especially during disputes.
A standard form contract (sometimes referred to as a contract of adhesion, a leonine contract, a take-it-or-leave-it contract, or a boilerplate contract) is a contract between two parties, where the terms and conditions of the contract are set by one of the parties, and the other party has little or no ability to ...
The employer must provide drawings together with a description of works, and either a specification or work schedules at tender stage. The project is generally not complex enough to require bills of quantities.
The JCT Minor Works Building Contract is designed for smaller, basic construction projects where the work is of a simple nature. Minor Works Building Contracts are suitable for projects procured via the traditional or conventional method.
What is a standard form contract? While many contracts are entirely purpose made, standard form contracts consist of standardised, pre-written terms and conditions. Because standard form contracts are familiar to people in an industry, they often function effectively without the need for much negotiation.