FIDIC glossary · Time
Extension of Time (EOT)
Extension of Time
In short
The Contractor’s entitlement to extend the completion time for delays it is not responsible for (Sub-Clause 8.5).
What is a Extension of Time (EOT)?
An Extension of Time (EOT) extends the Time for Completion. It protects the Contractor from delay damages for a delay it did not cause, and at the same time preserves a definite completion date for the Employer instead of an open-ended "the works are ongoing".
Entitlement arises for the grounds the contract lists: Variations under Clause 13, delayed access to the Site, unforeseeable physical conditions (Sub-Clause 4.12), Exceptional Events (Clause 18), and delays attributable to the Employer or the authorities. The cause must sit on the critical path — delaying an activity that has float earns no extension.
EOT is about time, not money. An extension does not by itself carry a right to Cost: that needs its own basis, and some events — Exceptional Events among them — give time but not money. That is what "time, no money" means.
Procedurally an EOT is a claim under Clause 20 with all of its deadlines: notice within 28 days, fully detailed claim within 84 days. Missing the first can forfeit the extension entirely.
Where it sits in the contract
Related terms
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This explains how the mechanism works in the standard form. How it works in your contract, after the Particular Conditions, is a separate question.
Talk to an expert →A reference explanation of the FIDIC standard conditions. Not legal advice, and not a reproduction of the FIDIC books.