JCT & NEC — Birmingham, West Midlands & UK Contract Administration
Independent, properly run contract administration for JCT and NEC construction contracts. We make sure notices, instructions, payments and certificates are issued correctly and on time, so the contract protects you the way it should.
Overview
The contract, run properly
Most construction disputes don’t start with a bad contract. They start with a good contract that wasn’t administered properly: a missed notice, a late payment certificate, an instruction given verbally and never recorded.
We act as Contract Administrator under traditional JCT contracts, as Employer’s Agent under JCT Design and Build, and as Project Manager under NEC. Whatever the form, our job is the same: to administer the contract fairly, on time and with a clear audit trail.
Our contract administration is led by a chartered surveyor (MRICS), so your commercial and contractual advice comes from the same person.
Scope of Services
What we do
Contract administration under JCT and NEC, from contract preparation to the final account.
Contract Preparation
Preparing contract documents and amendments, and checking bonds, warranties and insurances are in place.
Instructions & Notices
Issuing instructions, notices and early warnings correctly and within the contractual time limits.
Payments
Valuations, payment notices and certificates issued accurately and on time.
Change & Compensation Events
Assessing variations and compensation events fairly and promptly, with records that stand up to scrutiny.
Extensions of Time
Assessing delay claims and extensions of time objectively against the programme and the contract.
Completion & Final Certificate
Completion certificates, defects and the final account or final assessment.
Our Approach
How we administer your contract
Contract Preparation
We prepare the contract documents and set up administration procedures and records from day one.
Mobilisation
We agree the programme, communication protocols and payment cycle with the contractor before work begins.
Day-to-day Administration
Instructions, notices, site meetings and progress monitoring, all properly recorded.
Payment Cycle
Valuations and payment notices issued within the contract’s timescales, every month.
Claims & Events
Variations, compensation events and extension of time claims assessed fairly and on time.
Close-out
Completion, defects and the final account agreed and certified.
Why October Projects
Why choose October Projects
JCT and NEC
Experience across JCT and NEC contracts, including design and build, traditional and two-stage arrangements.
Fair to both parties
Administration that is fair to the contractor and firm in protecting the client, which keeps projects moving and disputes down.
Senior attention
A chartered surveyor administers your contract personally. Nothing is delegated to someone you’ve never met.
See also our Employer’s Agent service and our guide to JCT or NEC.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is contract administration in construction?
Contract administration means operating the building contract on the client’s behalf: issuing instructions and notices, valuing work, certifying payments, managing change and certifying completion.
Who can act as Contract Administrator?
Usually an architect, quantity surveyor or project manager named in the contract. We act in the role as independent chartered surveyors.
What’s the difference between JCT and NEC administration?
JCT names a Contract Administrator or Employer’s Agent. NEC is built around a Project Manager, who works collaboratively with the contractor through early warnings and compensation events.
Can you help with a dispute?
We can review the contract position, records and claims, and help resolve issues before they become formal disputes. Where specialist legal or expert advice is needed, we’ll tell you.
Do you administer contracts on smaller projects?
Yes. Smaller projects are often where poor administration causes the most problems, and a well-run contract protects clients at any value.
Further reading: What does an Employer’s Agent do? · JCT or NEC: which contract is right for your project?
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Tell us
about your scheme.
We’ll bring the programme, the governance and the certainty. Get in touch to discuss your project.