The NEC ECC contract is the Engineering and Construction Contract, the main NEC form for building, civil engineering and process plant work. It's what most people mean when they say "NEC": a Client appoints a Contractor to provide works, with a Project Manager running the contract under set procedures for risk, time and change.
The current edition is NEC4, published in June 2017, with later amendments. This overview gives you the essentials, while the full ECC guide goes into more detail. The comparisons section shows how it stacks up against other forms.
ECC at a glance
| Used for | New build, refurbishment, civil engineering and plant, with any level of Contractor design |
|---|---|
| Roles | Client, Contractor, Project Manager and Supervisor, and an Adjudicator where the dispute Option provides for one |
| Payment routes | Options A to F (below) |
| Risk route | Early warnings (15), compensation events (60 to 66), Client's and Contractor's liabilities (80, 81) |
| Programme | A detailed Accepted Programme (31), which is regularly revised (32) |
| Add-ons | Secondary Options and Z clauses, chosen job by job |
The six main Options
| Option | Name | Who mainly carries cost risk on the original work |
|---|---|---|
| A | Priced contract with activity schedule | Contractor |
| B | Priced contract with bill of quantities | Contractor, with the Client taking the risk of quantity changes |
| C | Target contract with activity schedule | Shared through the Contractor's share |
| D | Target contract with bill of quantities | Shared, with the target moving with final quantities |
| E | Cost reimbursable contract | Client |
| F | Management contract | Depends on how the work is subcontracted |
Periods worth knowing
These are the standard periods in the ECC, which can be amended. Check your own Contract Data and any Z clauses.
| Step | Standard period | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor tells the Project Manager about an event it believes qualifies | Eight weeks from when it first knew | 61.3 |
| Project Manager replies to that notification | One week, or longer if the Contractor agrees | 61.4 |
| Contractor submits a quotation | Three weeks from the instruction | 62.3 |
| Project Manager replies to a quotation | Two weeks | 62.3 |
| Project Manager replies to a programme | Two weeks | 31.3 |
| Other replies | The period for reply in the Contract Data | 13.3 |
When a different form may suit better
- Simple, lower-risk work: consider the short contract. See ECC vs ECSC.
- Maintenance or ongoing services: a term contract may fit better. See ECC vs TSC.
- Consultants and designers: use a professional service form. See ECC vs PSC.
- Subcontracted works: use the ECS, not a second ECC.
Common misunderstanding: "ECC" doesn't tell you the deal
Two ECC contracts can be commercially very different. A fictional £1 million Option A job gives the Contractor a price for its activities, so it benefits from savings and suffers from overruns on its original work. The same job under Option E pays the Contractor its Defined Cost plus the Fee, so the Client's cost control becomes the main concern. Before you price, staff or report on an ECC, make sure you know which Option it is, and read how to choose an NEC main Option if you're the one making that choice.
Related guides
See how this works in practice
Click through Contract Status with sample contracts: raise the notice, reply to it, and watch both sides of one record.
Take the guided tour Book a demo
Use the contract picker, use the free NEC tools or download free NEC templates.
This guide is general information in our own words, not legal advice. Your contract and its Contract Data always govern. NEC, NEC3 and NEC4 are trade marks of Thomas Telford Ltd; Contract Status is not affiliated with or endorsed by NEC.