At the moment, we only offer this capability to current clients, in conjunction with existing projects and alongside our project valuation service.
In practice, over many years in quantity surveying, we’ve always managed to defuse and resolve disputes without recourse to formal dispute procedures. It’s something that we’re proud of – and our clients appreciate.
If, however, you’ve found us because you need a specialist claims practitioner on a one-off basis, please get in touch. We may be able to help you find someone suitable. And of course, whether now or in future, we’re always here to help with the quantity surveying services that we do offer…
Please call 01483 853 149 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
More on contractual claims
It’s a fact of building and construction life that projects sometimes involve contractual claims. When losses and expenses occur, a skilled quantity surveyor can help maximise loss and expense claims while avoiding costly dispute escalation.
It might be an extension of time claim to move a completion date and avoid liquidated or ascertained damages. Or a loss of expenses claim on associated project delays. Another time, it could be a disruption claim due to resequencing of works. Or an acceleration claim for deploying additional resources. Or if you’re very unlucky, a combination of all four...
Contractor claims capability
A skilled professional can help with contractual claims in areas such as the following:
- Identification of potential delays
- Advice on notification provisions
- Document review
- As-built programme analysis
- Establishing relevant events
- Dominant cause determination
- Concurrent delay analysis
- Defence of alleged culpable delays
- Third-party claim assessments
- Claim preparation and negotiation
- Problematic account settlement
Avoidance and robust prosecution of claims
For any claim, successful defence or prosecution benefits from professional investigation, document interrogation and presentation. Robust, successful, prosecution of claims involves drilling down into project paperwork, extraction of required information and effective presentation of claims documentation.
Excellent claims management will protect your interests. Depending on the claim’s specific circumstances, a claims specialist can help you make full recovery, avoid paying over the odds and keep projects on-track for successful completion. Whether your project is large or small, commercial or residential, experienced claims management helps make construction easier.
When project claims arise, it’s in everyone’s interest to resolve matters at project level rather than with adjudication or litigation. As mentioned above, we’ve always found this to be possible. Our skills lie in identifying possible areas of dispute and managing them without the cost of recourse to formal dispute resolution procedures.
Generally, the earlier claims are resolved and parties can agree, the lower the cost to everybody – including the significant, but hard-to-quantify, costs of prolonged disagreement.
Maximising recovery of entitlements
Regardless of the reasons behind claims – and the project stage – fast, effective prosecution minimises costs and losses. It also maximises recovery of entitlements so work can progress toward profitable contract completion.
Whatever claims scenario you face (or want to avoid), look for demonstrable skills, relevant expertise and a determined, forensic approach in your specialist claims practitioner. Whether you’re seeking to recover, or assessing another party’s entitlement, a skilled specialist should identify and robustly support your position for time and money-related claims. Importantly, the right partner can achieve the best possible result while preserving carefully nurtured business relationships.
Thorough, accurate, correctly valued claims
While many claims are inherently proactive, some claims and disputes are more reactive (retrospective). Individual or multiple claims can be made during site work or at the end of the work. The latter involves retrospective analysis with document review and assessment of the effect on works. If work isn’t available for analysis, expect your claims partner to help you identify alternative ways to assess the claim.
Preparation is the key to successful claims. It’s normally possible to foresee contractual claims, plan for them and, if required, engage a specialist claims practitioner. The earlier you capture accurate data about events and the associated monies you seek to recover, the more likely you (or your partner) can submit a claim that’s thorough, accurate, justified and correctly-valued. Getting this right is vital for recovering your entitlement.
‘Selling’ your claim
‘Selling’ your claim to another party correctly is very important. It’s another area where the best specialist claims partners stand out from the rest.
Construction claims can easily reach huge sums. That’s why their components, rationale, build up and demonstrable robustness is essential. Only when a claim will stand up to vigorous third-party scrutiny can you avoid financial loss – and preserve all-important working relationships. Regardless of the detail underpinning claim preparation, it’s vital to demonstrate cause and effect. Establishing entitlement, and relating consequences and costs to events, helps ensure successful claims.
Are you claiming time extensions to stop liquidated and ascertained damages becoming due? Or prosecuting acceleration claims or a claim for intricate concurrent delays? Whatever the claim’s specifics, successfully building robust claim cases saves time and money, avoids the cost of wasted effort and lowers the risk of claiming unsuccessfully.
Industry knowledge and claims experience
When choosing a specialist claims partner, look for the following:
- Breadth of industry knowledge.
- Construction claims experience (including claims in construction areas traditionally associated with extensive delays and claims).
- A fine-tuned analytical approach.
- Strong interpersonal skills.
- Well-presented claims documentation skills.
Building persuasive cases
From pre-contract activities to project completion, contract claims practitioners tenaciously pursue relevant facts before accurately documenting them. Being a claims consultant isn’t just about striking ‘easy and convenient’ deals. The best practitioners take pride in forensically investigating project narratives and facts, building persuasive cases, then using these to assertively justify extra charges and recover entitlements.
Supporting subcontractors and main contractors
If you’re one of our existing clients and we’re working on an existing project, you’ll have reassuring access to our claims skills and experience. More precisely, you’ll have access to the skills and experience that help you avoid the cost of resorting to formal dispute procedures.
As mentioned earlier, we don’t offer a standalone contractor claims service. However, if you’re a subcontractor or a main contractor who needs such help, please get in touch. We may be able to introduce you to a suitable specialist.
And of course, don’t hesitate to get in touch if we can help with any of the quantity surveying services that we do offer…
Call 01483 853 149 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
