Are you a homeowner or self-builder planning a new home, extension or other building project?
This Self Build Legal Pack contains 5 contract documents and a set of useful guidance notes to download.
It’s designed to take the hassle out of the paperwork with your contractors.
Developed in collaboration with Self Build Zone, who provide insurance products for the self-build market, these legal contracts are created to protect your interests.
The Self Build Legal Pack includes six documents, representing a saving of over a third on the following documents:
- Appointment of Professional Consultant, document B151
This document is for use when appointing an architect, project manager or other professional. This is in the form of a letter form the home owner to the consultant. - Building Contract, B152
This is for appointing a contractor to build a new house or carry out other fairly substantial work. - Trade Contract, B153
for appointing a contractor for part of the work on a major project or a small extension or stand-alone project. This is in the form of a letter addressed to the contractor. - Supply & Installation Contract, B154
for appointing a firm to supply and install equipment – e.g. conservatory, boiler, central heating system, kitchen etc. - Change Confirmation Form, B155
A Change Order form to agree changes to a building project – whether this is a modest extension or a new house. - Guidance Notes for a Home Builder, Z165
Practical advice on the key contractual issues you need to consider when embarking on a building project.
Appointment of Professional Consultant to provide services to a home owner
Anyone embarking on a project to build a new home – selfbuild – is going to need professional support – there will be an architect to prepare the designs and other professionals could include a quantity surveyor, a structural engineer, mechanical and electrical engineer, project manager, interior designer and landscape architect.
This is a user friendly generic form of agreement that is suitable for appointing these professionals. While some of them will want you to sign up to their standard terms, professional institutes such as the RIBA have quite complicated contract forms. If you are managing your own project, it is easier to use a straightforward, fairly balanced contract than to have a variety of different forms with different professionals.
This agreement contains 19 clauses covering
- services
- duration
- standard of care
- directions
- general duties
- key personnel
- fees and payment
- changes
- copyright
- insurances
- third party rights and warranties
- termination
- suspension
- confidentiality
- assignment and subletting
- resolution of disputes
- notices
- partnerships
- the scope of the agreement
There is also a Schedule to be completed that will contain details of the project, scope of services and fees.
Building Contract for Home Owner or Self Builder
This building contract template is for a home owner or developer appointing a contractor to build a new house or extension or carry out other construction or renovation work. It is written by a specialist construction lawyer.
The selfbuild contract is in a user-friendly style in four parts:
- a one page form of agreement that the client and contractor will sign
- a set of standard Terms & Conditions
- a one-page Appendix with a list of specific items such as the completion date, amount of insurances etc.
- Schedules that should contain details of the project including the scope of work or specification, the contract price and payment terms.
The included Terms and Conditions detail:
- contractor obligations
- client obligations
- planning and permits
- representatives
- work at site
- price and payment
- change and delay
- acceptability of services
- completion, defects and liquidated damages
- insurance and indemnity
- ownership and risk
- termination and suspension
- client supplied materials and equipment guarantees
- third party rights
- a general clause addressing notice, assignment, subcontracting, the scope of the agreement,
- amendment, severance and waiver
- settlements of disputes and law
- definitions
The format allows for the client to appoint more than one contractor on a project using essentially the same terms and conditions if the client decides to appoint a number of different contractors for different parts of the project.
Short Form of Trade Contract
This Trade Contract is a user-friendly agreement in the form of letter under which a house owner or self builder appoints a contractor for certain works. All the main essentials of a construction contract are present in the 18 paragraphs of the letter, namely:
- works
- start date and duration
- general obligations
- goods and materials
- site access and activities
- the contract price
- payment
- acceptability
- change
- delay
- completion and defects period
- insurance and liability
- ownership and risk
- termination
- suspension
- subletting and assignment
- notices
- disputes
The contract is designed for use for a selfbuild pproject with a jobbing builder or trade contractor – roofer, bricklayer, etc.
The letter is accompanied by an Appendix and Schedule.
Supply and Installation Terms & Conditions (favouring the Client)
This contract is for selfbuild use by a Home Owner or Self Builder entering into an agreement with a company to supply and install equipment. The contract can be used for a wide variety of supplies such as a conservatory, a kitchen or a swimming pool.
This is a fairly comprehensive document designed from the perspective of the client rather than the supplier. The contract comprises a one-page Form of Agreement, Terms & Conditions, and Schedules setting out details of the equipment to be supplied and installed plus the contract price and payment details.
The Terms & Conditions contain 13 clauses dealing with
- general obligations of supplier
- general obligations of client
- work at client premises
- contract price and payment
- change and delay
- completion, testing and defects
- insurance and liability
- risk and property
- termination
- intellectual property
- disputes
- definitions
- a general clause detailing notices, assignment, subcontracting, the scope of the agreement, amendment, severance and waiver
You need this document if you are a home owner entering into an agreement with a company to supply and install equipment.
Change Confirmation Form
This Change Confirmation Form (CCF) or Variation Order is for use with a construction contract or contract for any building or engineering work. It is very easy to fill in and it acts as a documentary record of any change that is made to the work. It contains a description of the change plus the cost and time implications. The form has space for the contract price and completion date to be adjusted.
A fresh copy of the form should be used for each change.
For general guidance on issues that need to be considered in the contracts for a building project, see our free document Guidance Notes for a Home Builder Z165.
Guidance Notes for a Home Builder
This free PDF download is packed with useful legal information for embarking on a home build project, whether a small extension or a new house on a greenfield site.
The guidance notes include hints and tips on the terms that you need to consider including in your contracts with builders, tradesmen and suppliers.
These Guidance Notes are useful for reading with our Home Builder contracts: B151, B152, B153 and B154.
This is a PDF file and we suggest for printing that it works well when printed two pages to an A4 sheet.
If you have any questions about a contract and/or want to see the Explanatory Notes before you buy, please let us know by using our contact form