Engineering, procurement and construction contracts are usually drafted in a foreign language and then translated for licensing, for a local partner, or for dispute resolution. The documents are long, the definitions are numerous, and everything in them depends on everything else.
Definitions are the backbone
Project contracts typically open with a long list of definitions, and each defined term appears dozens of times throughout. If its translation is inconsistent, the reader can no longer tell which clause refers to which definition.
- Translate the definitions list first and lock the result before the body of the contract is touched.
- Preserve the marker for defined terms, such as initial capitals, so the reader can still identify them.
- Never substitute a synonym for a defined term, however repetitive it reads.
- Verify that every cross-reference between clauses still points to the right clause.
Figures, dates and time mechanisms
Construction contracts are full of time-based mechanisms: notice periods, extension windows, completion dates and daily penalties. An error in any one figure can shift one party's position entirely.
Pay particular attention to differences in date notation between countries, decimal notation, and how days are described — calendar days or working days, often abbreviated and often confused.
Supporting documents that also need translating
| Document | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of work and technical specifications | Contract annex | Technical terms locked with the definitions list |
| Project schedule and milestones | Basis for payment | Milestone naming must match the payment clauses |
| Environmental permit documents | Licensing | Frequently required to be sworn |
| Feasibility study report | Financing | Figures and units are the critical point |
| Work safety procedures | Operations | Used in the field, must be executable |
| Performance certificates and bonds | Security | Value and validity period must be exact |
Managing documents that keep changing
Project contracts are rarely final at the first attempt. Addenda, variation orders and site records accumulate throughout. If each document is translated as a separate job by a different party, consistency is gone within months.
Treat it as one continuous project
A framework agreement with a glossary maintained across the life of the project is far cheaper and safer than a dozen one-off orders. The biggest benefit is not the discount but terminology that stays identical from the head contract to the final site record.
Read about framework agreements