ABSTRACT
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has a long history of publishing construction contracts. In 2014, the RIBA published its own standard forms, the RIBA Concise Building Contract and the RIBA Domestic Building Contract. The forms include a number of optional clauses, which make them suitable for a surprisingly wide range of projects despite being relatively short. In November 2014, the RIBA launched two new building contracts: the RIBA Concise Building Contract and the RIBA Domestic Building Contract (DBC). In DBC18 only, the Client may act as Contract Administrator under optional clause 19. The optional clauses are important and add a great deal of flexibility to the form, including requirements for a programme, contractor design, required specialists, payment options and insurance backed guarantees. Domestic Building Contract 2018 has an option whereby the client may elect to act as contract administrator and a provision allowing the client to cancel the contract within 14 days of signing.
