NIC (Not In Contract)

NIC (Not In Contract) is a notation indicating that specific work or items are excluded from the current contract. You’ll see it on drawings, specifications, and scopes of work to clearly flag what the contractor is not responsible for delivering.

Why NIC Matters

Scope confusion is one of the most common sources of disputes on construction projects. When an item is marked NIC, it tells everyone — the GC, subs, and owner — that someone else is handling it. Without that clarity, contractors end up doing unpaid work or finger-pointing starts at closeout.

Common NIC Examples

• Owner-furnished items: The owner is buying the appliances, light fixtures, or specialty hardware directly. The contractor installs them but doesn’t procure or warranty them.
• Separate contracts: On large commercial jobs, the owner may hire the fire suppression or elevator contractor directly. Those scopes are NIC for the GC.
• Allowance items not yet selected: Items where the owner hasn’t made a final selection may be noted as NIC until a change order adds them.

Practical Example

A residential remodel contract lists kitchen countertops as NIC because the homeowner wants to purchase the slab themselves. The contractor’s scope includes demolition, cabinet install, and plumbing rough-in, but the countertop fabrication and install is excluded. If the owner later asks the contractor to handle it, that becomes a change order.

Projul’s estimating and change order tools make it easy to document NIC items in your original scope and then add them back as change orders when the owner decides to include them.