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NEC Letter Templates: What to Include

NEC letter templates all need the same core: contract, reference, date, sender and recipient by role, the clause you are acting under, a plain statement of what you are doing, and what you need back by when. NEC doesn't prescribe letter formats for most communications, so check your Scope first, then use these as a base.

The wording below is our own sample, not NEC text. It is written for the NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC), and you will need to change the role names and clause numbers for other forms. Dedicated pages cover the longer ones; see the full template list or the wider guide to managing NEC contracts.

The header every letter needs

Contract[Name and number]
Our reference[Type prefix and number]
Date[Date issued]
From[Name, role under the contract]
To[Name, role under the contract]
Clause[Clause you are acting under]
Subject[Type of communication: one-line description]
Reply needed by[Date and basis, or "None"]

Send each notification separately (13.7). A letter with several subjects makes it easy to overlook one.

Sample wording for the common letters

Reply to a notified event: it is a compensation event (61.4)

"We have considered your notification [reference]. This is a compensation event under clause 60.1([number]). Please submit a quotation by [date]. [Where appropriate: please assess it on these assumptions: ...]"

Reply to a notified event: the Prices and dates don't change (61.4)

"We have considered your notification [reference]. There is no change to the Prices, the Completion Date or any Key Date, because [one of the grounds in clause 61.4, with the facts]. If you have further information that bears on this, please send it to us."

Not accepting a submission (13.4)

"We do not accept [document, revision]. Our reason is [reason the contract allows]. In particular: [specific detail]. Please correct these points and resubmit by [date, if the contract allows you to set one]."

Reminder before a formal step

"Our [reference] was due for reply on [date], and we have no record of receiving one. Could you confirm when you expect to respond? This is a reminder only, and is not a notification under the contract."

Notifying a failure to reply (61.4, 62.6, 64.4)

"We notify you under clause [number] that you have not replied to [reference] within the time allowed. The reply was due on [date]. [For a quotation: the quotation we propose is to be used is [reference].]"

Asking to extend a period (13.5, 62.5)

"We ask to extend the period for [reply/quotation] on [reference] from [date] to [date] because [reason]. Please confirm your agreement by [date before the reply is due]."

Notifying a Defect (43.2)

"We notify you of the following Defect, found on [date]: [location; what doesn't meet the Scope, with the reference to the Scope]. [Attachment: photograph]."

Instructing a revised programme (32.2)

"We instruct you to submit a revised programme for acceptance within the period for reply, showing [the matter driving the revision]."

Getting letters right

  • Say which clause. It tells the reader what kind of communication this is and starts the correct clock.
  • Stick to one purpose. A letter that both notifies a compensation event and complains about an unrelated issue will get a muddled reply.
  • Use the role, not "we" alone, when it might be unclear. A delegate should say they act for the Project Manager under 14.2.
  • Stay neutral. State facts and the contractual step you're taking. Argument can follow if needed, and it reads better if the letter was civil to start with.
  • Don't over-template. A generic letter that doesn't name the specific facts is easy to dismiss, particularly for a reply refusing an event.

For how to send and log these, see managing NEC communications.

How this looks in Contract Status

Contract Activity: every step, dated and named.

Contract Activity: every step, dated and named. See the worked example.

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.

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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.