Building Surveyor Salary Index

JCT key dates calculator

Last reviewed September 2026

Enter the date of practical completion to get the key dates that follow under the JCT contracts: retention, the end of the Rectification Period, the final account and final payment, and limitation. Below that, work out the deadlines that run from common notices, including the 2024 change to extension of time decisions.

After practical completion

Periods and actual dates (optional)

The periods are the defaults in the unamended contract; change them to match yours. Enter actual dates once they’re known, and the dates that depend on them update.

Enter the date of practical completion to see the key dates.

Notice deadlines

How the dates are worked out

  • Periods of days start the day after and leave out Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays, as the JCT contracts provide. Periods of weeks, months and years run in calendar time.
  • A period of months ends on the same date in the later month, or on the last day of a month that’s too short.
  • Where a date depends on something that hasn’t happened yet, such as the final account documents arriving, the calculator assumes it happens on the last day allowed. Enter the actual dates to replace the assumptions.
  • For payment dates during the job, use the payment notice calculator. For late completion, use the liquidated damages calculator.

Limitation

Time runs from the breach of contract, which for defective work can be earlier than practical completion, so treat the limitation date as a guide and take advice well before it. For defects in homes, claims under the Defective Premises Act 1972 have a 15-year limit, or 30 years for claims that arose before 28 June 2022, following the Building Safety Act 2022.

Before you rely on a date

This calculator is a guide to the standard periods, not legal advice. Check your contract, including any amendments and its rules on serving notices.

Sources

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