By LawBite Team
Construction contracts are among the most complex of commercial agreements. Section 104(1) of the Construction Act 1996 defines a construction contract as an agreement designed for any of the following:
Often containing cross-border elements and various dispute resolution clauses, construction contracts can comprise of ten or more documents and cover projects in which hundreds of millions of pounds are invested. It is therefore highly advantageous to have a dedicated contract manager to oversee the risks and manage relationships.
In this article, we will explain more about construction contracts and how a contract manager can help with the delivery of your construction project.
Contract management is a stand-alone career. World Commerce & Contracting defines contract management as:
“a discipline that supports commercial management through the preparation, negotiation, implementation and oversight of legally enforceable performance commitments and risk positions, both outbound (to the market) and inbound (from the market).
It converts commercial policies and practices and technical capabilities into specific terms and conditions that are offered to or required from its suppliers, customers or business partners, ensuring compliance or gaining approvals for non-compliance.
Through active monitoring of performance needs and outcomes, contract management informs commercial management with regard to actual and required commitment capabilities, together with their financial and risk impact.”
Construction projects span several phases, including conception, design, pre-construction, procurement (materials, equipment, and skilled workers), building, and delivery/post-construction. The duties of a construction contract manager are, therefore, highly varied and may include:
Furthermore, a contract manager may be involved in individual or all stages of the contractual process, including the pre-contract phase, the contract execution phase and the post-award phase. It may also be that a contract manager is allocated to work on one large project or several smaller projects.
Engaging an experienced contracts manager to prepare, negotiate, and oversee your construction project provides several distinct advantages. Having a contract manager can;
Most contract managers use specialist contract management software, especially if they are managing contracts across multiple projects.
Contract management software creates an integrated system for document management, relationship management, monitoring of payments, change control, resource allocation, legal questions and answers, and resource allocation.
As such, it enables the efficient control and management of what can be extremely complex and wieldy legal documents during each stage of the construction process.
Construction contracts require meticulous attention to detail at every stage. Having a contract manager overseeing the procurement, negotiating, drafting, and performance of the contract mitigates many of the risks associated with such complex, multi-faceted agreements.
At Lawbite, our contract law solicitors have a wealth of experience in negotiating and drafting bespoke construction contracts that protect the interests of your customers, suppliers, partners, and your organisation. We also support construction managers in understanding all legal elements of construction contracts and managing disputes.
Book a free 15 minute consultation
Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice on which you should rely. The article is provided for general information purposes only. Professional legal advice should always be sought before taking any action relating to or relying on the content of this article. Our Platform Terms of Use apply to this article.
Read more of our latest blog posts, featuring all the latest legal news, analysis and opinion from our expert lawyers.
According to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the UK construction sector contributes a whopping £90 billion to the economy, makin...
Do you have a claim you want to pursue? Have you suffered loss through someone’s negligence or breach of contract? Are you owed a debt? You may wis...
Once again the headlines highlight that no company is too big to fail. This time it is the giant construction company Carillion that entered into l...
LawBite is on a mission to provide business legal advice that is easier to access, clearer to understand and much cheaper. Our on-line legal advice platform can quickly connect you with expert business legal advice. Our friendly, highly qualified business lawyers, solicitors and mediators will give you the guidance and reassurance that comes from customised legal advice for small and medium sized business.
Whether you are bringing or defending a legal claim, outsourcing work, want a business contract review to ward off disagreements, talk to an expert trademark lawyer, resolve a contractual dispute with methods like mediation and arbitration, or getting your new company set up and on the right footing with a robust shareholder agreement and GDPR standards, we can help you succeed.