NEC4 Contract Preparation · Module 1 · Lesson 1 of 4

The NEC4 family and the short forms

7 screensAbout 5 minutes

Why it matters

Dana has GBP 11,200,000 and three things to buy

In November 2023 the River Aske flooded 140 homes. Dana Whitfield, Aldermere Water's Project Manager, leads the relief scheme.

Worksthe culvert, pumping station and embankment

GBP 8,600,000

Designa consultant

GBP 620,000

Ground investigationboreholes

GBP 48,000

GBP 0GBP 6mGBP 12m

The rest is the team, land and a risk allowance. Each purchase here needs a contract, but which NEC4 form?

Source: Aldermere Water board approval, 15 January 2024.

The rule

Most purchases have a main contract, a short contract and a subcontract

The row is what you buy. The column is the size of the job, or the level it sits at.

	Main contract	Short contract	Subcontract
WorksBuild, with any level of design	ECC	ECSC	ECS or ECSS
Professional servicesDesign and other advice	PSC	PSSC	PSS
Term servicesUpkeep of an asset in use	TSC	TSSC	TSS
SupplyGoods, such as pumps	SC	SSC	No NEC4 form

This lesson stays on the works row. Module 9 shows how to choose between the ECS and the ECSS.

Source: NEC4 contract title pages and product pages.

The rule

The ECC has two Parties, and the ECS passes work down

Only two Parties sign. The Project Manager and Supervisor act under it without signing.

“the Client and the Contractor” (11.2(13))

Client

Buys the works.

Contractor

Builds on one main Option, A to F.

Subcontractorunder the ECS

Does part of the work, Options A to E.

Source: ECC 11.2(13), Schedule of Options. ECS 11.2(11), Schedule of Options.

The rule

NEC’s test for the short form is risk and complexity, not value

No Accepted Programme or Early Warning Register. Choose the short form only when there is little risk to manage.

	ECC	ECSC
A Project Manager and a SupervisorThe Client runs an ECSC itself	Yes	No
An Accepted ProgrammeECSC programme needs sit in the Scope	Yes	No
An Early Warning Register	Yes	No
Main and secondary OptionsA Price List pays in the ECSC	Yes	No
Client’s liabilities as compensation eventsClause 60.1(14) in the ECC	Yes	No
Quotation sent with the notificationThe ECSC’s shorter procedure	No	Yes

NEC offers the ECSC for work that is simple, easy to manage and low risk for both sides. It sets no value limit.

Source: NEC ECSC product page. NEC comparison note, June 2023. NEC news, July 2023. ECC 60.1(14).

See it on the project

Aldermere puts its boreholes on an ECSC and its works on an ECC

Decide each, then tap.

	Boreholes · ECSC	Works · ECC
Value	GBP 48,000	GBP 8,600,000 estimate
The work	Three boreholes on the culvert line	Culvert, pumping station and 1.2 km of embankment
Dates	Signed 10 June 2024, logs 16 August	Contract Date 5 January 2026

Three fully specified boreholes for GBP 48,000. Which form?

The ECSC, with Quarrymoor Drilling. The work is simple and low risk, so Aldermere Water runs it itself, with no Project Manager.

NEC ECSC product page

The works: unknown ground, buried utilities and a river. Which form?

The ECC. That risk needs a Project Manager, a programme and early warnings, so Dana Whitfield takes the role.

NEC comparison note, June 2023

Source: NEC ECSC product page. NEC comparison note, June 2023. Aldermere contract map, 29 January 2024. Quarrymoor ECSC, June to August 2024.

Try it

Sort each job: the ECSC or the ECC

Judge each job by its risk and how much managing it needs. Ignore the price tag.

Job 1 of 5

…

Source: NEC ECSC product page. NEC comparison note, June 2023.

Recap

Test the short form first, and judge it by risk, not value

Three habits that put the right form on each line.

On Monday at work

Sort each purchase into its row: works, services, upkeep or supply.
Test the ECSC first for simple, low risk works.
Choose the ECC when the job needs a Project Manager.

In the Toolkit: NEC4 Contract Checklists (ECC and ECS) (Excel) Members

Next lesson: Subcontractor or supplier

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Independent course material. It is not published or endorsed by NEC. Clause references are to the NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract, June 2017 with amendments January 2023, unless another NEC4 contract is named. The project and the people are invented. Short quotes from NEC4 (© NEC 2017) and the FIDIC Red Book (© FIDIC 2017) are used for review and comment. Read the full clauses in your own copy of the contract.

Source: ECC 11.2(13). NEC ECSC product page. NEC comparison note, June 2023.

Go deeper (optional)

Three questions practitioners ask about the short forms

Harder points for later. Skip them if short of time.

Can the ECSS sit under an ECC?

Yes. NEC offers it for simple, low risk subcontract work under an ECC or an ECSC. Module 9 shows how to choose it for each package.

NEC4 ECSS product page

What does the Client give up in the ECSC?

A Project Manager and an Early Warning Register. The Client runs the job and carries the quantity risk on rated items in the Price List.

NEC comparison note, June 2023

Does the ECSC share risk like the ECC?

Not quite. NEC names two differences: the weather event, and a Client’s liability as a compensation event only in the ECC (60.1(14)).

NEC news, July 2023

Source: NEC ECSS product page. NEC comparison note, June 2023. NEC news, July 2023.