Fully
revised and updated, the RIBA Concise Building Contract is specifically
designed to be a simple, clear and easy to understand and use contract between
a client and a contractor, and can be used on all types of simple commercial
building work. It can be used in both the private and public sectors, as it
includes optional provisions dealing with official secrets, transparency,
discrimination and bribery as normally required by public sector clients.



 



Key
benefits





Written
in plain English that is succinct and easy to understand


Fair
and equitable terms for all parties


Facilitates
good management of the project from start to completion


Allows
effective collaboration between the employer and contractor


Gives
control over the timely completion of the building project


Allows
the contractor to design parts of the building project















 



Other features





Collaboration
provisions: advance warnings, joint resolution of delay, proposals for
improvements and cost savings


Management
provisions: pre-start meeting and progress meetings


Flexible
payment options


Provision
for contractor design, with ‘fit for purpose’ liability option


Optional
provisions for a contractor programme


Optional
provisions for client-selected suppliers and sub-contractors


Mechanisms
for dealing with changes to the project which allow for agreement and include
specified timescales


Option
for commencement and completion in stages


Guidance
notes on use and completion are included.





















 



Key changes in the 2018 edition:





The contract has been fully updated to comply with the CDM Regulations 2015.
The Guidance Notes include detailed advice for clients with regards to their
particular duties under the Regulations.


The guidance on Insurance and Insuring the Works has been expanded and is clearer
and easier to understand. Further explanation is given on the process for
ensuring that adequate insurance is obtained and the importance of notifying
the property’s building and contents insurer if the work is to an existing
building. Emphasis is given to the need for whoever takes out the insurance to
provide written confirmation of the extent of cover provided in respect of the
works.


The Consents,
Fees and Charges item has been expanded so that it now clearly states what
regulatory and statutory consents, fees and charges need to be obtained and who
is taking on the ether the responsibility for obtaining and paying for them,
either the client or the contractor.


The guidance on Dispute Resolution has been expanded but also simplified. Adjudication
is still the default option, as the parties to the contract are legally obliged
to have access to this method for resolving their dispute, however, the
contract advocates that the parties to the contract choose mediation as an initial
step in the process, as mediation can be less expensive than other methods, and
is therefore encouraged by the courts.


The Programme
optional item has been simplified. The contract have retained the requirement
for a contractor to indicate the activities they will carry out to complete the
works, including the start and finish times of each activity and the
relationship of each activity to the others. However, the obligation on the contractor
to submit a Programme prior to the commencement of the works, and any financial
penalties for not doing so (perceived as too confrontational), have been
removed.


The Contractor
Design optional item has been retained, so that, if it is agreed that the contractor
is to design part of the Works, a detailed and accurate description can be provided
of the parts that the contractor will design. However, this optional item now
also allows a level of professional indemnity insurance to be specified.


The Required
Specialists optional item has been amended so that while clients can still
request that specific subcontractors and suppliers be used for parts of the
Works, details of those parts of the works are now to be identified at the
tender stage and listed in the Contract Documents.


The contract now includes a Contract Checklist which both parties should review and answer
‘yes’ to the questions provided before signing the contract. This is to ensure
that the client is fully aware of what they are agreeing to, that all of the
appropriate documents and information has been provided and that all of the
provisions – such as: scope of the works; start and completion dates of the
works; contract price; payment of fees; access to the site and working hours;
insurance; and the process for dispute resolution – have been adequately completed.

 





















Easy to understand



The RIBA Concise Building Contract is written in plain English, which
provides three key benefits:





the language used in the contract is simple and
easy to understand, compared to other standard forms of contracts;


the clause structure used in the contract avoids
the use of large numbers of sub-sub clauses and too much cross-referencing
between provisions; and


Where common construction terminology is used,
it has been simplified so that less-experienced users can understand it.









 



Copies
required for each Party



It is
legally advisable that both parties to the contract each have an original
signed version. Therefore you should purchase two copies of the contract, so
that both the client and contractor has an original signed copy.  Alternatively prepare your contract online enabling you to issue final copies of the
contract to each party at no extra cost.



 



Integration with other RIBA
documents



The RIBA Concise Building Contract have been specifically written to
integrate with the RIBA suite of professional services contracts (RIBA
Agreements) and the RIBA Plan of Work 2013.



 



Create your RIBA Building
Contract online – it is quick, simple and straightforward



Generating your building contract online allows you to create, alter,
manage and view all of your contracts in one secure location before printing
the final contract. For further details, go to:  www.ribacontracts.com.