What is a Construction Contract?
A construction contract may be a legal instrument that’s wont to describe the services and costs related to a construction project. A construction contract might be used for a home or business. counting on the client, a construction contract will contain different information. for instance , a residential contract will contain different information from a billboard construction contract.
Do i want a construction contract?
A construction contract is important if you’re building, renovating, or altering a building or structure. A construction agreement protects both parties. If you’ve got just decided to create your dream home, a construction contract will protect your interests just in case of unreasonable construction delays and material shortages or your contractor surprises you with unexpected high costs. If you’re a contractor, the development contract will act as your guide to handling any unexpected issues before construction is complete.
The construction contract allows each party to detail the precise work to be performed and therefore the responsibilities of every party during the course of the project. the development contract also specifies the payment terms of the contract. All contract terms must suits applicable laws.
Consequences of not using one
The consequences of not employing a construction contract are often severe.
If you’re an owner, what does one do if your contractor suddenly stops performing on your home? Or demands excessive payment for materials and labor that you simply didn’t originally agree to? If you’re a contractor, what does one do when an owner refuses to pay you after you’ve completed the work? A construction contract that details your agreement in writing will protect the rights of both parties.
A successful construction project requires clearly defined agreement about all expectations. When there are mistakes or delays, both parties are affected. Owners are going to be unhappy because they can’t use the property for the intended purpose once they expected. Contractors are going to be incurring additional costs for labor and use of kit .
An owner can protect against delays in construction by including a liquidated damages clause within the construction contract. Liquidated damages are an prescribed amount that a contractor can pay to the owner for every day that a construction project is delayed.
Agreeing to liquidated damages before time can save both parties the time that it might fancy litigate damages later in court. For a court to uphold liquidated damages, the owner’s damages must be uncertain or difficult to work out before time. For an owner to recover liquidated damages, the delay in construction can’t be thanks to circumstances beyond the contractor’s control, like extreme weather or change within the scope of labor . the quantity of liquidated damages must be reasonable.
Types of construction contracts
Lump Sum
A payment contract is that the commonest pricing arrangement for construction contracts. it’s also referred to as a “fixed price” contract. during a payment contract, the parties comply with one price supported the contractor’s estimate of the entire costs of the project. A payment contract includes all the materials, labor, subcontracts, profit, and every one other related costs. payment contracts can include incentives for early termination and penalties for late termination.
Lump sum contracts are used when the owner wants to transfer risk to the builder and avoid change orders for unspecified work.
Cost or Cost Plus
A contract is an agreement for the owner to buy all the prices related to a construction project plus a further fixed fee for a margin of profit . this suggests that the owner will first buy all the particular costs incurred during construction like costs for materials and labor. The owner will then pay the contractor a further prescribed fee, which is typically either a flat fee or a hard and fast percentage that’s supported a percentage of the entire costs.
Cost plus contracts are used when the scope of labor isn’t clearly defined. It becomes the owner’s responsibility to determine some limits on what proportion a contractor bills.
Unit Price
In a unit price construction contract, the parties set a price for each unit of labor . A unit price contract are often supported hours, linear feet, cubic yards, or by item.
Unit price contracts are often employed by federal agencies. Unit price contracts allow an owner to line prices during a bidding process by requesting specific quantities and pricing of a group number of things .
Time and Material Contracts
Time and material contracts are used when parties comply with pay a predetermined rate for a unit. These contracts are used when it’s impossible to present an accurate estimate or when it’s difficult to define a schedule. A time and materials contract is that the riskiest sort of contract for the owner and therefore the most secure sort of contract for the contractor.
Samples of Construction Contract Template :
A time and materials contract should specify labor costs, material mark-up, not-to-exceed or maximum amount charged, and maximum labor hours.
Construction Contract Template | Word download
