Source: https://www.quantsurv.com/library/claim-records-and-evidence Content format: Markdown version of the public page. Content reviewed: 2026-10-11 # Keeping records that explain a construction claim Useful records let another person follow the event, your obligations and your calculation. A large folder is only helpful when its contents can be understood. by [Jack Butler-Kettle]() · About 5 min readShare ## Before you start Collect the original agreement, correspondence, site records and financial records. Keep originals separate from the working set. Keep original records and connect them to the facts they support. Distinguish what happened, what the contract requires and what the figures show. Record uncertainty and contrary evidence as carefully as favourable material. ## Step-by-step guide 1. ### 1. Preserve and index original records Keep emails with attachments, dated drawing revisions, original photographs and exported project-system records. Retain metadata where possible. Use working copies for highlighting and calculations. Do not silently edit originals or recreate old notes as if they were written contemporaneously. If an explanation is written later, label its date and author. Distinguish recollection from a record made at the time. 2. ### 2. Connect the issues, rights, events and figures Use a chronology for events, a document index for sources, an issue list for disagreements and a calculation for amounts. Give each event and document an identifier. A reader should be able to move from a sentence or figure to the record behind it. For a starting set of editable registers and correspondence templates, the free [Claim prevention pack]() includes a guide to using them on a project. Adapt the records to your contract and keep the underlying evidence. The [SCL Protocol]() emphasises transparent information and methodology for delay and disruption. The organising approach here is a practical suggestion, not a prescribed legal format. 3. ### 3. Test the evidence and identify gaps An invoice may support expenditure without proving who caused it. A photograph may show a condition without establishing its date or contractual responsibility. For each disputed issue, list supporting evidence, contrary evidence and missing information. Check quantities and dates against more than one source where available. For calculations, show units, rates, quantities, assumptions and deductions. Link totals back to source records and check for duplicated costs. A [Claim viability review]() tests these connections and identifies evidence gaps before more work is committed to preparing a claim. For help maintaining records as issues develop, [Project Partner Retainer]() provides ongoing support within an agreed monthly scope. 4. ### 4. Prepare a usable evidence pack Choose relevant documents and include an index. Use searchable files, clear names and readable scans instead of sending an unexplained archive. Keep access controlled and avoid sharing unrelated personal information. Ask about legal privilege before circulating communications with legal advisers. Procedural disclosure and confidentiality rules depend on the forum and jurisdiction. Check the directions that apply to your dispute. **Before you finish:** Check that each material assertion can be traced to a source and that contrary evidence, estimates and missing records remain visible. ## Worked example ### The facts A flooring subcontractor has 200 photos and a £4,800 claim concerning repeated return visits. ### What happens 1. They group photos by date and area and check them against site diaries. 2. They connect each return visit to the instruction or access record and the associated labour entry. 3. They remove a duplicated labour entry and clearly label a visit whose reason remains uncertain. ### What this shows The pack becomes easier to test. Better organisation does not turn an unsupported item into an established entitlement. ### Claim evidence pack Replace the example with contemporaneous records. Preserve original files and show both supporting and contrary evidence; distinguish assumptions from observed facts. [Download blank Excel workbook]() Free blank template for your own project. The completed example is shown below. No email address required. View the completed example Completed fictional example Westhaven refurbishment · 14 October 2026 · Version 1.0 #### Issue and chronology Scroll across if needed to read the whole record. A dash means no value has been entered. Issue and chronology: completed fictional example | Date / time | Event | Evidence | Effect / limitation | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 7 Oct 08:00–12:00 | Level 1 access restricted; four installers planned | D-07; AL-07; TS-07 | 16 planned hours; 8 redeployed elsewhere | | 8 Oct 08:00–12:00 | Access restricted until 10:00, then reopened | D-08; AL-08; TS-08 | 16 planned hours; 8 productive after reopening | | 14 Oct | Claim reviewed against logs and timesheets | Review CR-14 | 32 claimed hours reduced to 16 supported idle hours | #### Evidence index Scroll across if needed to read the whole record. A dash means no value has been entered. Evidence index: completed fictional example | Reference | Record / author | Original file location | What it shows | Limit / check | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | D-07 | Site diary, A. Reed, 7 Oct | /project/evidence/D-07.pdf | Access closed 08:00–12:00; two people redeployed | Read with signed timesheets | | D-08 | Site diary, A. Reed, 8 Oct | /project/evidence/D-08.pdf | Access reopened 10:00 | Contradicts four-hour stoppage for all staff | | TS-07/08 | Approved labour allocations | /project/evidence/TS-07-08.xlsx | Named hours by work area | Check no duplicate recovery | | AL-07/08 | Contractor access logs | /project/evidence/AL-07-08.pdf | Access closure and reopening times | Does not establish contractual liability | #### Supported labour calculation Scroll across if needed to read the whole record. A dash means no value has been entered. Supported labour calculation: completed fictional example | Day | Initially claimed hours | Redeployed / productive hours | Supported idle hours | Verified cost / hour (£) | Supported cost (£) | Basis | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 7 Oct | 16 | 8 | 8 | £30.00 | £240.00 | 4 people × 4 h; 2 people × 4 h redeployed | | 8 Oct | 16 | 8 | 8 | £30.00 | £240.00 | 4 people × 4 h; 4 people × 2 h productive | All evidence references are fictional teaching exhibits. The example supports £480 of recorded idle labour cost; contractual entitlement and completion delay still require separate assessment. ## Sources 1. [Delay and Disruption Protocol, 2nd edition, February 2017](). Society of Construction Law. [Browse the Library]()