Excess construction charges (ECC) explained

What excess construction charges are

Every BTnet order has service introduction charges, the standard one-off charges for connecting the service. BT's terms define Excess Construction Charges (ECC) as any charges in addition to those, needed to install the service or part of it, where the work exceeds the level normally required.

In plain words: if the survey shows your site can be reached in the normal way, there is no ECC. If reaching your site needs extra building work, the extra cost of that work may be passed on as ECC.

ECC is not a hidden fee or a penalty. It reflects the fact that a leased line is a physical connection built to one building, and some buildings are harder to reach than others. You may also see it referred to as Openreach excess construction charges, because Openreach builds and maintains much of the local access network that dedicated lines use. Whatever the source of the work, on a BTnet order the ECC process you deal with is the one in BT's terms.

What can lead to ECC

The survey decides whether ECC applies, so nobody can tell you for certain beforehand. These are typical reasons extra engineering is needed for a dedicated line:

• No usable duct to the building, so new duct has to be laid
• Digging and civil works in a pavement, road or verge, which can also need permits and traffic management
• A long route from the nearest suitable point on the network
• Blocked or collapsed duct that has to be cleared or replaced
• Crossing private land, such as a business park road or a neighbour's land, which may also need a wayleave agreement
• Work on or inside the building beyond the normal level, such as a new entry point
• A second, separate route for resilient BTnet, where route separation needs new infrastructure

Any site can need extra work, wherever it is, and many need none. The site survey is where this is confirmed.

How BT handles ECC: the agreed limit

BT's terms give you control through an ECC limit that can be set out in your order. After the survey, what happens depends on how the cost of the extra work compares with that limit:

If you do not accept a new quote, BT's terms say BT cancels your order for the affected site and is not required to provide the service there. BT's terms also say ECC set out in the order is invoiced up to the agreed limit.

The practical choice is the size of the limit. A limit lets work carry on without another decision point, which can help the date. Setting no limit, or a low one, means you see and approve any ECC before it is committed, at the cost of an extra step. We explain the trade-off for your site when we quote.

If you cancel after agreeing ECC

Cancelling once ECC is in play has its own rules under BT's terms:

• Work already done is charged. If you agreed to ECC and then ask to cancel, you pay the full cost of additional work specifically incurred before BT received the cancellation request. BT tells you what those costs are.
• Cancellation charges may also apply. Once BT has confirmed the Customer Committed Date, cancelling attracts cancellation charges based on the bearer type. See BTnet contract terms.
• Declining a re-quote is different. If the survey finds ECC above your limit and you do not accept BT's new quote, BT cancels the order for that site under its terms rather than continuing.

The lesson is to make the ECC decision carefully at the start, and to raise any doubts before work begins rather than part way through.

ECC and your delivery date

Extra engineering takes time as well as money. On jobs that need it:

• The date may be estimated. BT's terms provide for an estimated date where BT cannot give a Customer Committed Date.
• Re-quotes add a step. If ECC goes above your limit, work waits for your answer to the new quote.
• Permits and permissions take time. Street works and wayleaves run on their own timetables.

BT's help pages say installation can take up to 70 working days, depending on the survey. Jobs with excess construction are where the survey matters most. See BTnet lead times for how dates are set and committed.

How to reduce the risk of ECC surprises

You cannot remove the possibility of ECC, but you can stop it catching you out:

1. Ask for the desktop survey category early. It gives an early sense of how complex delivery is likely to be.
2. Decide your ECC limit deliberately. Set it at a level you would accept without a further conversation, or set none if you want to approve any ECC first.
3. Give accurate site information. BT's terms allow charges to be reviewed if site information is incomplete or wrong.
4. Involve the landlord early. Work on private land or in common parts may need consent as well as engineering.
5. Keep options open on timing. If a move date depends on the line, allow for a re-quote and extra works in the plan.
6. Think about the bearer. A bearer with headroom avoids a second installation later just to go faster. See bearers and port speeds.

How Forever Communications helps

Forever Communications is an Authorised Supplier for BT, and we explain ECC before you order, not after: what it is, how the limit works, and what the survey might mean for your site. If BT re-quotes, we set out the new figures from BT, what accepting or declining means under BT's terms, and how it affects your date, so you can make the decision with the facts in front of you. We do not publish ECC figures because every site is different; ask us for a quote. We can talk you through the service introduction charges, the recurring charges and any ECC limit proposed for the order, so you can see where any extra engineering would sit.

Contact us with your address to talk through excess construction risk at your site. For how ECC fits into the overall price, see BT leased line cost.