The Keys to Avoiding Construction Claims

construction-claims-managementConstruction claims management is all about expediting the claims process, and avoiding situations that breed trouble. Before you hire consultants to manage your project, make sure you’re following this basic advice regarding claims management and prevention.

Track Increased Costs

You should be able to find your initial estimate and actual invoice at a moment’s notice to compare costs. These key documents should be at the forefront of claims management, and will likely be some of the first documents that construction claims consultants want to see before they process a claim.

Create a detailed process for documenting cost increases, including reasons why they happened and evidence proving your points where possible.

Avoid Scheduling Delays

One of the most common delays a construction claims expert is likely to come across is in failing to properly schedule a project. Often the project manager is just misjudging, but errors of carelessness are also common. Project managers need to be responsible for scheduling enough people to meet the demands of the project, and stay within the operating budget.

Plan for the Unplanned

What if weather shuts down the operation for more than a week? What if changes to the plans require a widening of the foundation? These realities happen all the time, but they aren’t problems you expect to have. If this kind of situation arises, the best thing you can do is to document the work you’ve done, the reason for the stoppage, and work with all stakeholders to brainstorm a contingency and determine how to distribute liability.


Lyle Charles Consulting offers expedited construction claims management services so that companies can put employees back to work.