FIDIC contract cheat sheet for clients
Understand the employer's side of FIDIC: provide access and decisions, support proper administration, manage payment and preserve claim procedures.
by Jack Butler-Kettle · About 5 min readShare
Before you start
Use this as a quick operational checklist, not a complete contract summary. Keep the signed form, amendments and project dates beside it.
For employers under the Red, Yellow or Silver Books, 1999 or 2017 editions, including identified reprints and amendments. The signed documents and governing law control. The 2017 Red Book overview describes its administration and claims approach; it does not describe every FIDIC form.
Working in another role? See the sheet for subcontractors or main contractors.
Step-by-step guide
1. Set up authority and client-side obligations
Do this: Appoint the administrator appropriate to the book. Map access, information, approvals, permits allocated to you and any financial-arrangement obligations. Give each action an owner and deadline.
Watch for: Under Red and Yellow, the Engineer has defined contractual functions. FIDIC's 2017 summary explains neutral determinations; Silver uses a different structure.
Client contract management support can help turn the agreed terms into a working diary of duties and notices.
2. Fund and administer the agreed payment process
Do this: Arrange timely assessment or certification and payment under the amended Clause 14. Reconcile statements, advances, retention and securities. Record each deadline and required supporting document.
Watch for: A funding delay does not itself alter your contractual payment duty. Confirm local law before assuming UK pay-less or adjudication rules apply.
3. Control instructions and their budget effects
Do this: Route changes through the authorised administrator. Obtain cost and programme information, approve within delegated limits and record the instruction and assessment. Keep project decisions accessible to the contract team.
Watch for: Informal requests can create disputed variations. A lump sum does not remove the variation mechanism or every employer-held risk.
4. Respond to contractor claims and preserve your own
Do this: Record notices, particulars and determination dates. Supply client records and assess effects through the agreed process. For employer claims, identify the correct notice and substantiation requirements.
Watch for: Employer-claim procedures differ materially between 1999 and 2017. Do not copy the 1999 contractor-only route into your own claim. FIDIC's FAQs explain the 2017 claiming-party approach.
5. Plan taking over and the remaining liabilities
Do this: Arrange tests and taking-over decisions. Track defects, performance requirements, final certification, security releases and unresolved claims. Diarise dispute-board and dissatisfaction procedures under your edition.
Watch for: Taking over does not automatically settle every account or defect. Check the consequences before using unfinished works, rejecting certification or terminating the contract.
Before you finish: Write down the next action, its owner, deadline and delivery method. Get advice on uncertain rights before an irreversible step.
Worked example
The facts
Fictional example: a FIDIC employer wants to deduct delay damages while an extension claim is awaiting determination.
What happens
The employer checks the relevant completion position and its own claim and notice requirements.
The administrator follows the agreed determination procedure; the employer checks the payment consequences before making a deduction.
What this shows
The deduction is tested against the contract process rather than being treated as an automatic response to the original completion date.
FIDIC client briefing template
Fill the blank briefing from the executed agreement and its amendments. Have the contractual contact, deadlines and responsibilities checked, then issue a dated version to the team.
Free blank template for your own project. The completed example is shown below. No email address required.
View the completed example
Completed fictional example
Westhaven refurbishment · 14 October 2026 · Version 1.0
Project and contract
- Project / package
- Westhaven refurbishment / internal works
- Our role / party
- Client / Westhaven Property Ltd
- Selected form / edition
- FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction, 2017 Red Book
- Amendments / controlled copy
- Signed contract plus amendments schedule rev 2, held in contract folder
- Briefing owner / checked
- Commercial lead; checked 14 October 2026; briefing revision 1
- Contractual contact / route
- Engineer; named contact and notice category in signed communications schedule
Site-team operating sheet
Scroll across if needed to read the whole record. A dash means no value has been entered.
| Area | Completed project briefing | Record / owner |
|---|---|---|
| Scope and authority | Confirm the brief, approvals, funding and delegated authority. Issue instructions through the appointed contractual route rather than informal site requests. | Scope rev C; document register / project lead |
| Payment | Confirm who assesses and issues notices, review the valuation and arrange payment under the contract. Keep authority and funding available for each cycle. | October application deadline 20 Oct 12:00; checked project diary / QS |
| Changes | Record written instructions, the agreed valuation route and any separate claim or notice requirement. Check the actual Particular Conditions and amendments. | CH-07: relocation instruction I-07; price and time unresolved / QS |
| Delay and records | Check the executed contract claim procedure, trigger and particulars requirements. Support time and cost separately with contemporary records. | Access restriction 7–8 Oct; D-07/08, AL-07/08, programme P-02 / planner |
| Completion | Record the contract completion decision, handover information and defects. Reconcile final valuation, retention and unresolved claims before settlement. | Handover HR-01; as-built drawing outstanding / project lead |
Live actions and dates
Scroll across if needed to read the whole record. A dash means no value has been entered.
| Action | Checked project date / source | Owner / evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm CH-07 submission | 16 Oct 2026; review action, not a universal notice period | QS / issued submission and receipt |
| Submit October application | 20 Oct 2026 12:00; project payment schedule P rev 2 | Accounts lead / APP-10 and delivery proof |
| Resolve incomplete handover | 16 Oct 2026; close-out action CO-02 | Design lead / accepted as-built drawing |
Fictional project briefing. Dates and responsibilities shown are illustrative project entries, not standard-form defaults. This original summary does not reproduce or replace the contract. Check every clause, recipient and deadline in the actual executed documents.