What is a contract for work?
A contract for work obliges a contractor to deliver an agreed result and the client to pay the agreed price. Scope, quality, price, deadlines and acceptance should be clear.
In a contract for work, the contractor owes an agreed result, for example a completed building element, installation or renovation. The client owes the agreed remuneration. The applicable legal rules depend on the jurisdiction and contract.
Important contents
- Scope: plans, specifications, exclusions and interfaces.
- Quality: required properties, standards and evidence.
- Price: lump sum, unit prices or time-based work, including tax and payment terms.
- Schedule: start, milestones, completion and consequences of delays.
- Changes: how variations and additional work are instructed, priced and approved.
- Acceptance and defects: inspection procedure, reservations, correction and warranty arrangements.
Clear documents and written decisions reduce misunderstandings during delivery. At completion, the parties should record the result in an acceptance report.
For a specific project or dispute, obtain advice under the law governing the contract.
Questions about this term