A JCT contract is a standard UK construction contract that defines roles, responsibilities, payment processes, and how changes and delays are managed on a project.
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Frequently asked questions
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The main JCT contracts you’ll see on real projects are: Standard Building Contract, Design and Build, Intermediate Building Contract and Minor Works. There are others (like Management and Major Project forms), but those four cover most day-to-day work.
Start with four questions: how big and complex is the project, who should carry design responsibility, how much contractual structure you need around valuation and payment, and how experienced the parties are with JCT admin. In broad terms, Standard Building suits larger, design-led projects, Design and Build works when the contractor takes on design responsibility, Intermediate covers mid-range jobs and Minor Works fits small, simple projects.
Design and Build fits when the contractor is best placed to coordinate design and construction and the client wants a single point of responsibility. Standard Building is better when the employer wants tighter control of design through their own consultant team and is comfortable with more detailed admin.
Minor Works is fine for genuinely small, simple jobs with limited design and few trades. It becomes risky when people try to squeeze more complex or high-value projects into it just to “keep it simple”. The missing structure comes back as disputes later.
Yes. Heavier forms like Standard Building and Design and Build justify more detailed cost structures, variation logs and formal payment workflows. Simpler forms like Minor Works still need good records, but you can keep the process lighter. The key is that your internal system matches the complexity and risk profile of the form you’re using.
JCT requires an up-to-date programme and lists events that can justify extra time. If delays aren’t recorded and notified properly, the contractor risks missing extensions of time and facing liquidated damages.
Payments follow a cycle: the contractor submits an application, a payment notice is issued, and the payer may issue a pay-less notice if needed. Timelines and notices are critical for cashflow.
Variations should be instructed and valued formally, but many start informally on site. If they aren’t tracked and agreed quickly, they can escalate into commercial disputes and margin loss.
Spreadsheets scatter contract sums, variations, costs and approvals across multiple files, making it hard to keep a single reliable record or to track the live financial position of a project.
Software centralises contract sums, variations, payment applications and approvals, giving you a structured audit trail and clearer control over JCT admin and project finances.
Upload your project budget and follow the financial progress in real-time
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