The JCT family at a glance
| Contract | Best for | Design |
|---|---|---|
| Minor Works (MW) | Simple, small projects with a fixed price and a contract administrator | Client’s design |
| Minor Works with contractor’s design (MWD) | As MW, where the contractor designs a defined part | Mostly client; some contractor design |
| Intermediate (IC / ICD) | Medium projects of moderate complexity, with fully designed work | Client; ICD adds a contractor-designed portion |
| Standard Building Contract (SBC) | Larger or complex projects; versions with quantities, without quantities and with approximate quantities | Client, with optional contractor’s designed portion |
| Design and Build (DB) | Projects where the contractor designs and builds to the Employer’s Requirements | Contractor |
| Major Project (MP) | Large projects for experienced clients and contractors | Contractor |
| Management / Construction Management | Packaged, fast-track work managed by a management contractor or construction manager | Client |
| Measured Term (MTC) | Planned maintenance and minor works over a period, ordered as needed | Client |
| Repair and Maintenance (RM) | Simple repair and maintenance jobs | Client |
| Homeowner contracts | Home extensions, renovations and repairs for a homeowner or occupier, with or without a consultant | Client or builder |
| Collaborative and framework forms | Partnering, long-term relationships and series of projects | Varies |
| Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) | Engaging a contractor early in a two-stage tender | Varies |
Most main contracts have a matching subcontract (for example SBCSub, DBSub and ICSub) and collateral warranty forms, so terms can be passed down the supply chain consistently.
How to choose
- Who is designing? If the contractor is designing all or most of it, look at Design and Build. If your architect or engineer is designing, choose a traditional form.
- How big and complex is it? Minor Works suits straightforward work; Intermediate suits more detailed projects that still don’t need the full Standard Building Contract machinery. JCT’s own guidance describes each form’s intended use.
- Is the client a homeowner? Use a homeowner contract, which is written in plainer language and reflects consumer law.
- How will the price work? Lump sum, with quantities, remeasurement or cost-reimbursable all point to different forms.
Clauses to read before you sign
- Contract Particulars: the dates, sums and options that make the form specific to your project: date for completion, liquidated damages rate, retention percentage, insurance option, rectification period and payment dates. Blank or vague particulars cause many disputes.
- Payment: interim valuation dates, due dates, final dates, and who issues payment and pay less notices.
- Relevant Events and Relevant Matters: the events that entitle the contractor to more time (Relevant Events) and to loss and expense (Relevant Matters).
- Variations: how changes are instructed and valued.
- Insurance: which insurance option applies to the works and any existing structures.
- Termination: the grounds, the notice steps and what is paid after termination.
- Amendments: any schedule of amendments, which can override the printed terms.
JCT 2024: what changed
JCT launched its 2024 Edition in April 2024, starting with the Design and Build Contract, and released the other forms over the following months. Changes include provisions reflecting the Building Safety Act 2022 dutyholder regime, new relevant events (for example for discovering asbestos, contaminated material or unexploded ordnance, and for epidemics), a wider statutory-powers event, and the option to give notices by email. Contracts signed on 2016 forms still work, but check which edition you are signing. Read our summary of what changed in JCT 2024.
General information, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your contract, the facts and where the work is, and the law changes. Check the sources below and take advice from a qualified professional before acting on anything that matters.
Last updated: 15 October 2026
