Subcontractor contracts explained before they cost you.
We review JCT, NEC and amended subcontract terms, pick out the clauses affecting price, payment, design, programme and notices, then explain the actions in plain English.
JCT, NEC and amended terms · Main risks highlighted · Actions made clear
The cheapest commercial problem is the one removed before order.
Main-contractor amendments can shift design, programme, payment, insurance and loss exposure well beyond the standard form. A review should do more than repeat clauses; it should show what to negotiate and what the project team must manage if the wording remains.
We produce a concise risk schedule, recommended amendments and a practical project brief after terms are agreed.
Commercial terms viewed as one connected risk.
The contract-review capacity within the retainer is matched to contract value, complexity and deadlines. Common focus areas include:
Scope and design
Document hierarchy, fitness obligations, design development, discrepancies and responsibility gaps.
Programme and delay
Start conditions, completion, notices, extensions of time, acceleration and liquidated damages.
Payment
Applications, notices, set-off, retention, vesting, payment periods and final-date mechanisms.
Change
Instruction authority, notification, valuation, quotation procedures and time-bar exposure.
Liability
Indemnities, caps, consequential loss, warranties, insurance and third-party obligations.
Termination and suspension
Trigger events, notice steps, payment consequences and rights on insolvency or default.
Decision-ready review
- Executive risk summary
- Red / amber / green clause schedule
- Plain-English commercial impact
- Proposed amendment wording or negotiation point
- List of outstanding contract documents
Project control brief
- Payment and notice calendar
- Instruction and change route
- Programme obligations
- Records the team must maintain
- Escalation and approval responsibilities
Say the right thing, through the right route, at the right time.
A notice should preserve the position without unnecessary heat. We help connect the contract requirement to the facts, effect and action requested.
Include deadlines in my retainerContract support in context.
How quickly can a contract be reviewed?
Timescale depends on length, amendments, project value and urgency. We will confirm the included retainer capacity and return date before work starts and flag any immediate signature or mobilisation risk.
Do you review purchase orders and framework call-offs?
Yes. The operative terms may sit across a framework, order, task order, scope, amendments and referenced main-contract provisions. The review identifies which documents actually apply and any conflicts between them.
Can you negotiate terms directly?
We can prepare and discuss commercial amendments within the agreed authority. Matters requiring legal advice are referred to your solicitor, with the commercial issue clearly framed.
Can you draft a notice after an event has happened?
Yes, but timing and prior correspondence matter. We first review the clause, chronology and what has already been communicated, then advise on the strongest accurate response still available.