The JCT Homeowner’s Contract

Many disputes involving residential building projects arise because of a failure to put in place a formal written contract before work begins and because the parties fail to agree on certain essential things, such as what work must be carried out. If these things are agreed at the beginning then the potential for disputes is dramatically reduced.

Preparing a contract may sound like a daunting prospect, but it is, in fact, extremely straightforward because there are standard documents available for home owners to use. All that is required is to add details of the particular project.

These standard documents are drafted by the Joint Contracts Tribunal, commonly called the JCT. The JCT has been producing standard form building contracts for over 75 years which are used within the commercial construction industry. Most commercial buildings, such as offices and shopping centres, are built using JCT contracts.