The main clocks in each NEC contract, side by side, with the clause each one comes from. The forms look alike, but the periods are not the same, so a figure from one form can be wrong in another.
What these figures are
These are the periods in the unamended published forms. Your Contract Data, Options and Z clauses can change them, and your own contract decides. This is general information in our own words, not legal advice.
- NEC4 ECC: the figures come from our reviewed clause set. The periods at 91.4 and 91.6 are consistent with the main-contract text of the NEC4 PSC and TSC.
- NEC4 TSC: the figures come from NEC's user guide and from published schedules that quote the clauses, so we only show the ones they state.
- The other forms: each figure was read in that form's own text.
"Not shown" means the form has no such step, or we have not confirmed the figure. We leave a gap rather than guess. Where a clock restarts after a notice, "then" gives the further period that runs once the failure to reply has been notified.
Engineering and construction contracts
| Period | NEC4 ECC | NEC3 ECC | NEC4 ECS | NEC3 ECS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period for reply | Contract Data entry (13.3) | Contract Data entry (13.3) | Subcontract Data entry (13.3) | Subcontract Data entry (13.3) |
| Notify a compensation event | 8 weeks (61.3) | 8 weeks (61.3) | 7 weeks (61.3) | 7 weeks (61.3) |
| Reply to a notified event | 1 week, then 2 (61.4) | 1 week, then 2 (61.4) | 2 weeks, then 3 (61.4) | 2 weeks, then 3 (61.4) |
| Submit a quotation | 3 weeks (62.3) | 3 weeks (62.3) | 2 weeks (62.3) | 1 week (62.3) |
| Reply to a quotation | 2 weeks (62.3), then 2 (62.6) | 2 weeks (62.3), then 2 (62.6) | 4 weeks (62.3), then 3 (62.6) | 4 weeks (62.3), then 3 (62.6) |
| Reply to a programme | 2 weeks, then 1 (31.3) | 2 weeks (31.3); no treated acceptance | 3 weeks, then 2 (31.3) | 2 weeks (31.3); no treated acceptance |
| Certify a payment | 1 week (51.1) | 1 week (51.1) | 2 weeks (51.1) | 2 weeks (51.1) |
| Make the payment, from the assessment date | 3 weeks (51.2) | 3 weeks (51.2) | 4 weeks (51.2) | 4 weeks (51.2) |
| Correct a notified Defect | Contract Data entry (44.2) | Contract Data entry (43.2) | Subcontract Data entry (44.2) | Subcontract Data entry (43.2) |
| Put right or stop a default | 4 weeks (91.2, 91.3) | 4 weeks (91.2, 91.3) | 3 weeks (91.2, 91.3) | 3 weeks (91.2, 91.3) |
| Amount left unpaid, R16 | 13 weeks (91.4) | 11 weeks (91.4) | 13 weeks (91.4) | 11 weeks (91.4) |
| Stop instruction not lifted, R18 to R20 | 13 weeks (91.6) | 13 weeks (91.6) | 14 weeks (91.6) | 14 weeks (91.6) |
| Final assessment or payment | 4 weeks after the Defects Certificate, 13 after a termination certificate (53.1) | 13 weeks after termination, paid within 3 (90.4) | 4 weeks after the Defects Certificate, 14 after a termination certificate (53.1) | 14 weeks after termination, paid within 4 (90.4) |
Option Y(UK)2 changes how the payment dates work where it applies. Under it, a pay less notice is due 7 days before the final date for payment (Y2.3).
Professional service contracts
| Period | NEC4 PSC | NEC3 PSC | NEC4 PSS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Period for reply | Contract Data entry (13.3) | Contract Data entry (13.3) | Subcontract Data entry (13.3) |
| Notify a compensation event | 8 weeks (61.3) | 8 weeks (61.3) | 7 weeks (61.3) |
| Reply to a notified event | 1 week, then 2 (61.4) | 1 week, then 2 (61.4) | 2 weeks, then 3 (61.4) |
| Submit a quotation | 3 weeks (62.3) | 2 weeks (62.3) | 2 weeks (62.3) |
| Reply to a quotation | 2 weeks (62.3), then 2 (62.6) | 2 weeks (62.3), then 2 (62.6) | 4 weeks (62.3), then 2 (62.6) |
| Reply to a programme | 2 weeks, then 1 (31.3) | 2 weeks (31.3); no treated acceptance | 3 weeks, then 2 (31.3) |
| Certify a payment | 1 week (51.1) | No certificate in this form | 2 weeks (51.1) |
| Make the payment | The later of 1 week after the invoice and 3 weeks after the assessment date (51.2) | 3 weeks after the invoice arrives (51.1) | The later of 2 weeks after the invoice and 4 weeks after the assessment date (51.2) |
| Correct a Defect | No set period: a time that keeps the harm small (41.2) | No set period: a time that keeps the harm small (41.2) | No set period: a time that keeps the harm small (41.2) |
| Put right or stop a default | 4 weeks (91.2, 91.3) | 4 weeks to put it right (90.3) | 3 weeks (91.2, 91.3) |
| Amount left unpaid | 13 weeks, R16 (91.4) | 8 weeks after the Consultant's notice (90.2) | 13 weeks, R16 (91.4) |
| Stop instruction not lifted | 13 weeks, R18 to R20 (91.6) | Not shown | 14 weeks, R18 to R20 (91.6) |
| Final assessment | 4 weeks after the defects date or, if later, the last Defect being corrected, 13 after a termination certificate (53.1) | Not shown | 4 weeks after the defects date or, if later, the last Defect being corrected, 14 after a termination certificate (53.1) |
Term service and supply contracts
| Period | NEC4 TSC | NEC3 TSC | NEC4 SC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Period for reply | Contract Data entry | Contract Data entry (13.3) | Contract Data entry (13.3) |
| Notify a compensation event | 8 weeks (61.3) | 8 weeks (61.3) | 8 weeks (61.3) |
| Reply to a notified event | 1 week (61.4) | 1 week, then 2 (61.4) | 1 week, then 2 (61.4) |
| Submit a quotation | 3 weeks (62.3) | 3 weeks (62.3) | 3 weeks (62.3) |
| Reply to a quotation | 2 weeks (62.3), then 2 (62.6) | 2 weeks (62.3), then 2 (62.6) | 2 weeks (62.3), then 2 (62.6) |
| Reply to the plan or programme | Plan: 2 weeks, then 1 (31.3) | Plan: 2 weeks (21.3); no treated acceptance | Programme: 2 weeks, then 1 (31.3) |
| Certify a payment | 1 week (51.1) | 1 week (51.1) | 1 week (51.1) |
| Make the payment | The later of 1 week after the invoice and 3 weeks after the assessment date (51.2) | 3 weeks after the assessment date (51.2) | The later of 1 week after the invoice and 3 weeks after the assessment date (51.2) |
| Correct a Defect | No set period: a time that keeps the harm small (43.3) | No set period: a time that keeps the harm small (clause 42) | Contract Data entry (44.2) |
| Put right a default | 4 weeks (91.2) | 4 weeks (91.2) | 4 weeks (91.2) |
| Stop a default | Not shown | 4 weeks (91.3) | 4 weeks (91.3) |
| Amount left unpaid, R16 | 13 weeks (91.4) | 11 weeks (91.4) | 13 weeks (91.4) |
| Stop instruction not lifted, R18 to R20 | 13 weeks (91.6) | 13 weeks (91.6) | 13 weeks (91.6) |
| Final assessment or payment | 13 weeks once the Service Period ends, unless the Contract Data says otherwise; 13 after a termination certificate (53.1) | 13 weeks after termination, paid within 3 (90.4) | 4 weeks after the last defects date or, if later, when the final correction period ends, 13 after a termination certificate (53.1) |
The Supply Contract uses the Purchaser, the Supplier and the Supply Manager. The NEC4 TSC has a plan where other forms have a programme.
Short construction contracts
The short forms have their own clause numbers, and fewer steps.
| Period | NEC4 ECSC | NEC3 ECSC | NEC4 ECSS | NEC3 ECSS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period for reply | Contract Data entry (13.2) | Contract Data entry | Subcontract Data entry (13.2) | Subcontract Data entry |
| Notify a compensation event | 4 weeks (61.3) | 8 weeks (61.1) | 3 weeks (61.3) | 7 weeks (61.1) |
| Reply to a notified event | Not shown: the quotation goes with the notification (61.2) | 1 week (61.2) | Not shown: the quotation goes with the notification (61.2) | 1 week (61.2) |
| Submit a quotation when instructed | 1 week (61.2) | 2 weeks (62.1) | 1 week (61.2) | 1 week (62.1) |
| Reply to a quotation | 2 weeks (62.2) | 2 weeks (62.4) | Subcontract Data entry (62.2) | Subcontract Data entry (62.4) |
| Own assessment if no quotation comes | 1 week (62.4) | Not shown | 1 week (62.4) | Not shown |
| Make the payment, from the assessment day | 3 weeks (51.1) | 3 weeks after the next assessment day (51.1) | 4 weeks (51.1) | 3 weeks after the next assessment day (51.1) |
| Correct a notified Defect | Contract Data entry (42.4) | Contract Data entry (41.3) | Subcontract Data entry (42.4) | Subcontract Data entry (41.3) |
| Stop a default | 2 weeks (90.3) | 2 weeks (90.3) | 1 week (90.3) | 2 weeks (90.3) |
| Amount left unpaid | 13 weeks (90.4) | 10 weeks (90.4) | 13 weeks (90.4) | 10 weeks (90.4) |
| Stop instruction not lifted | 8 weeks (90.4) | 8 weeks (90.4) | 9 weeks (90.4) | 8 weeks (90.4) |
| Final assessment after termination | 13 weeks, paid within 3 (92.4) | No time stated | 14 weeks, paid within 3 (92.4) | No time stated |
In the short forms, the unpaid period counts from the assessment day after the application for the payment. Silence on a quotation can count as acceptance: see your form's clause 62.
Other short contracts
| Period | NEC4 PSSC | NEC3 PSSC | NEC4 TSSC | NEC4 SSC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period for reply | Contract Data entry (13.2) | Contract Data entry (13.3) | Contract Data entry (13.2) | Contract Data entry (13.2) |
| Notify a compensation event | 4 weeks (61.3) | 4 weeks (61.3) | 4 weeks (61.3) | 4 weeks (61.3) |
| Submit a quotation when instructed | 1 week (61.2) | 1 week (61.2) | 1 week (61.2) | 1 week (61.2) |
| Reply to a quotation | 1 week (62.2) | 1 week (62.2) | 2 weeks (62.2) | 2 weeks (62.2) |
| Own assessment if no quotation comes | 1 week (62.4) | 1 week (62.3) | 1 week (62.4) | 1 week (62.4) |
| Make the payment | 3 weeks after the assessment day (51.1) | 4 weeks after the next assessment day, or the Contract Data period (51.1) | 3 weeks after the assessment day (51.1) | 3 weeks after the assessment day (51.1) |
| Correct a Defect | No set period: a time that keeps the harm small (41.2) | No set period: a time that keeps the harm small (42.2) | Not shown | Not shown |
| Default not put right or stopped | 2 weeks (90.3) | 4 weeks (90.2) | 2 weeks (90.3) | 2 weeks (90.3) |
| Amount left unpaid | 13 weeks (90.4) | 8 weeks after the Consultant's notice (90.3) | 13 weeks (90.4) | 13 weeks (90.4) |
| Stop instruction not lifted | 8 weeks (90.4) | Not shown | 8 weeks (90.4) | 8 weeks (90.4) |
| Final assessment after termination | 13 weeks, paid within 3 (92.4) | Not shown | 13 weeks, paid within 3 (92.4) | 13 weeks, paid within 3 (92.3) |
Turn a period into a date
The deadline calculator counts the date for you, form by form. To see what a clause covers in plain English, use the clause finder. The guide to NEC time periods explains how the clocks work, including what starts them.
Contract Status counts these periods on every contract, using your own contract's figures and clauses. See it in the guided tour, or ask us to show you on a contract like yours.
General information in our own words, not legal advice. Your own contract decides.