Which of the following are essential elements of a contract?

The essential elements of a contract are fundamentally the components that must be present for an agreement to be legally enforceable. The elements of offer, acceptance, and consideration are core to establishing a valid contract.

An offer is a proposal made by one party to another indicating a willingness to enter into a contract on specific terms. Acceptance occurs when the other party agrees to those terms, thereby creating a mutual agreement. Consideration refers to what each party stands to gain from the contract; it can be in the form of money, services, or other valuable exchanges. Without these three components, a contract cannot be considered valid or legally binding.

The other options, while related to the context of construction and contracts, do not constitute the fundamental building blocks of a contract. Proposals for materials and labor relate more to the planning phase of a project rather than the contract itself. Permits and subcontracts are important in the execution of construction projects but do not themselves define a contract's validity. Similarly, initial payments and orders may be procedural steps in getting a job started but do not encompass the necessary elements that form a legally binding agreement.