The finishing contract, clause by clause

Four common types of finishing contract

The first decision is how the contract pays for materials and labour, because that sets who carries which risk.

Scope and the BOQ

The scope clause should point to a detailed bill of quantities (BOQ, or مقايسة) attached to the contract, because 'full finishing' means different things to different people.

• Attach the BOQ as an annex: every item with its description, unit, quantity and specification.
• Attach the drawings the work follows, and say which version is the current one.
• List what is excluded, such as air conditioning, kitchen appliances or furniture, so that nothing is assumed.
• Say how quantities are measured: fixed in the BOQ, or re-measured from the work actually done.
• Say who obtains any compound or building approvals the work needs.

Our guide to the finishing BOQ explains how to read each line.

Materials: who buys what, to which standard

For every main material, the contract should say who buys it and the standard it must meet.

• Specify the grade, size, thickness and finish, and the origin where it matters, not just 'first-class marble'.
• Signed, labelled samples of stone, tiles, paint colours and fittings, kept by both sides.
• Any substitute material needs your written approval before it is used.
• Who carries waste and breakage, and who checks quantities on delivery.
• Who is responsible for storing materials on site, and for anything lost or damaged there.

Payments tied to delivered stages

Each payment should follow a stage that has been finished and checked, not a date on the calendar.

• Define each stage clearly: first fix inspected, plaster finished, waterproofing tested, floors laid, and so on.
• Tie each payment to a stage you have inspected and signed off.
• Link any advance payment to what it is for, such as setting up the site or ordering made-to-measure items.
• Hold back part of the final payment until the snag list is closed.
• Get a receipt for every payment, and keep a running statement signed by both sides.

Timeline, delay and changes

A useful timeline clause says when the work starts, how long each stage takes and what can extend it.

• A clear start date, and what counts as the start: the site handover, the approvals or the first payment.
• A stage-by-stage programme attached to the contract, not only an end date.
• What extends the time: your own late decisions, approved variations, compound restrictions, or events outside both sides' control.
• How delay is handled: written notice, an agreed extension, and any compensation both sides agree in advance.
• Your obligations too: timely decisions, approvals and payments, because a contractor cannot keep to a programme that is being held up.

Every change during the work should be written, priced and signed before it is carried out: a description of the change, its effect on cost and on time item by item, both signatures, and then a number and a place in the contract file and the final account.

Handover and snagging

Handover should be a written process with an inspection, a snag list and a final record, not just a handing over of keys.

• A joint inspection when the work is complete, checked against the BOQ and the approved samples.
• A written snag list, with an agreed period for closing it.
• Test results handed over: water tests for the waterproofing, and checks of the electrics and plumbing.
• As-built drawings of the electrical and plumbing routes, so that later work does not hit a pipe.
• A signed handover record, and a clause on who repairs defects that appear after handover, and for how long.

Our handover checklist takes you through the inspection room by room.

General clauses people forget

Some clauses have nothing to do with the finishing itself, but leaving them out is what makes any disagreement harder.

• The full names and identity details of both sides, and for a company its commercial register and tax card.
• Site rules: working hours, the compound's rules, noise, debris removal and cleaning.
• Water and electricity on site during the work: who arranges them.
• Subcontracting: whether the contractor may hand parts of the work to others.
• Termination: on what grounds either side may end the contract, and how the work done so far is valued.
• Disputes: how they are to be settled, as your lawyer advises.

How a finishing contract with Itmam works

We visit, measure and give you a written, itemised quotation before work starts, so the scope is on paper before anything is signed.

On a finishing contract you pay each supplier directly and the tax invoice is issued in your name, so there is no margin hidden in the materials. Our fee is for supervision and execution, and it is agreed in writing before work starts.

Supply-only is available if you only need materials. We work in Alexandria, on the North Coast and in New Cairo, and elsewhere in Egypt when the job suits.