Letter of intent

A letter asking you to start work before the contract is signed, often with a cap on what you will be paid.

by Jack Butler-Kettle · About 2 min readShare

Further detail

A letter of intent can authorise limited work while a fuller agreement is being negotiated. Whether it creates a contract, and on what terms, depends on its wording and the surrounding facts. Scope, spending caps, expiry, payment and what happens if negotiations fail need particular attention.

Track the authority actually given as work progresses. Letter-of-intent controls setup helps identify gaps before work exceeds the agreed limits.

Contract and security document register

Obtain authorised documents from the publisher or relevant party. Use the register to track them; it does not reproduce or supply a standard contract.

Download blank Excel workbook

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

Contract and security document register

Scroll across if needed to read the whole record. A dash means no value has been entered.

Contract and security document register: completed fictional example
Document	Form / edition	Parties / beneficiary	Execution / expiry	Review question	Source / status
Main contract	Selected JCT form and edition to be confirmed	Employer / contractor	Signed copy required	Check particulars, amendments and incorporated documents	Obtain licensed copy from JCT
Collateral warranty	Project-specific agreed draft	Subcontractor / named beneficiary	Execution pending	Check duty, liability limit, assignment and step-in provisions	Obtain agreed draft from project team
Performance bond	Bond provider draft	Contractor / employer	Expiry and claim conditions to be verified	Check trigger, amount and required demand documents	Obtain provider-issued instrument

The download is an original document-control register. Copyright standard contracts, warranties and bonds must be obtained through authorised sources and reviewed for the project.

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