What does caderno de encargos mean in Portugal?
The caderno de encargos is the document that sets out the clauses to be included in a contract to be signed. In the public-contracts code it is part of the procurement file; a private owner may use the same kind of document, but the Civil Code does not require one.
- Rests on
- Código dos Contratos Públicos, art. 42.º n.º 1
- Law
- Decreto-Lei n.º 18/2008 (Código dos Contratos Públicos), text as published in 2008
- Where it applies
- Public contracts; the Civil Code rules on empreitada do not mention it
- Official text
- data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/18/2008/01/29/p/dre/pt/pdf
- Sources
- data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/18/2008/01/29/p/dre/pt/pdf
pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?ficha=1201&ar... - Checked
- 2026-11-05
What it means for the owner
- For simple jobs the document can be just technical specifications plus the price or the deadline (art. 42.º n.º 2).
- It can fix base terms, such as price, deadline or technical features, that bids must respect (art. 42.º n.º 3 and n.º 4).
- In a private building contract, the parties decide whether to use a similar specification document.
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