Tips
Find practical advice you can use on your project.
Tips
110 results · showing 12
Ask for the main contract before you sign a back-to-back subcontract
Make your quote's exclusions part of the contract
Avoid a battle of the forms before you start work
Ask for the few amendments that move the most money
Price the terms you cannot change
Put every notice period and time bar in the diary before work starts
Give your site team one page on what the contract requires
Test the payment clauses on a real month before your first application
Read a letter of intent like a contract and track its cap
Get the price basis written into the letter, not just the cap
Check the payment process on a letter of intent
Costs and measurement
Tips
Procurement and tendering
Tips
- Read each amendment against the clause it changes
- Ask for the main contract before you sign a back-to-back subcontract
- Make your quote's exclusions part of the contract
- Avoid a battle of the forms before you start work
- Ask for the few amendments that move the most money
- Price the terms you cannot change
- Put a base date and a validity period on every quotation
- Name the volatile materials and how they will be adjusted
Commercial management
Tips
- Take every payment date from the signed contract and its amendments
- Build the full calendar of dates at the start of the job
- Set reminders ahead of the deadline, not on it
- Know how your contract counts days
- Send the payment application to every recipient the contract names
- Check the contract permits how you're sending it
- Prepare early; serve in the permitted window
- Follow the contract's format requirements to the letter
- Attach the back-up before anyone asks for it
- Photograph the work weekly before it is covered up
- Call to confirm the payment application arrived
- Put the call in writing straight after
- Keep one folder per payment cycle
- Keep what you actually sent, not the working file
- Name documents so a stranger could follow them
- Track every contract's cycles in one place
- Read the payment terms against your cash flow before you sign
- Get a full payment schedule written into the contract
- Don't let a balance build while you keep working
- Get it in writing before the work starts
- Check who actually has authority to instruct
- Check revised drawings for potential variations
- Open a file per variation on the day it arises
- Keep the changed work separate in your costs
- Photograph the condition before you change it
- Notify the event promptly using the right procedure
- Record when you became aware of the event
- Diarise the quotation period the day you are asked to quote
- Use the valuation rules in your NEC contract
- Name people, places and hours, not conclusions
- Write the site diary the same day, every day
- Record the ordinary days too
- Build from what your people already produce
- Close gaps while the facts are warm
- Check the notice requirement as soon as delay arises
- Send the notice in the form, and to the address, the contract names
- Keep proof that the notice arrived
- File every supplier price increase the day it arrives
- Check the notice rule when prices move
- Get finished areas signed off before the next trade moves in
- Check the notice rule when delay starts
- Support a delay notice with the required detail
- Keep a running final account from the first valuation
- Tie every line to a document
- Close the account while the people are still there
- Diarise each retention release trigger and payment date
- Check the retention on every certificate
- Apply for retention through the correct payment process
- Ask for the certificate, not just the money
Contracts and agreements
Tips
- Read each amendment against the clause it changes
- Ask for the main contract before you sign a back-to-back subcontract
- Make your quote's exclusions part of the contract
- Avoid a battle of the forms before you start work
- Ask for the few amendments that move the most money
- Price the terms you cannot change
- Put every notice period and time bar in the diary before work starts
- Give your site team one page on what the contract requires
- Test the payment clauses on a real month before your first application
- Read a letter of intent like a contract and track its cap
- Get the price basis written into the letter, not just the cap
- Check the payment process on a letter of intent
- Keep the records behind work on a letter of intent
- Build a dated chronology before you argue what was agreed
Payment and deductions
Tips
- Take every payment date from the signed contract and its amendments
- Build the full calendar of dates at the start of the job
- Set reminders ahead of the deadline, not on it
- Know how your contract counts days
- Send the payment application to every recipient the contract names
- Check the contract permits how you're sending it
- Prepare early; serve in the permitted window
- Follow the contract's format requirements to the letter
- Attach the back-up before anyone asks for it
- Photograph the work weekly before it is covered up
- Call to confirm the payment application arrived
- Put the call in writing straight after
- Keep one folder per payment cycle
- Keep what you actually sent, not the working file
- Name documents so a stranger could follow them
- Track every contract's cycles in one place
- When a pay less notice lands, check the process and the figures separately
- Before relying on silence, confirm no notice was served
- Get the paperwork looked at early
- Read the payment terms against your cash flow before you sign
- Get a full payment schedule written into the contract
- Chase the day it's overdue, not the month after
- Don't let a balance build while you keep working
- Know your right to suspend, and its procedure
- Put the interest in every chaser, from the first
- Check and respond to a deduction promptly
- Ask for the records behind each deduction
- Get finished areas signed off before the next trade moves in
- Respond to a notice to put work right
Changes and extra costs
Tips
- Get it in writing before the work starts
- Check who actually has authority to instruct
- Check revised drawings for potential variations
- Open a file per variation on the day it arises
- Keep the changed work separate in your costs
- Photograph the condition before you change it
- Argue changed conditions, not just changed quantities
- Check the full valuation effect of omitted work
- Make the assessor respond in writing
- Watch the notice regime on disputed variations
- Escalate while the evidence is fresh
- Notify the event promptly using the right procedure
- Record when you became aware of the event
- Diarise the quotation period the day you are asked to quote
- Use the valuation rules in your NEC contract
- Answer a refusal on the ground it gives
- Compare the assessment line by line
- Put a base date and a validity period on every quotation
- Name the volatile materials and how they will be adjusted
- File every supplier price increase the day it arrives
- Check the notice rule when prices move
- Split the rise by cause before you claim it
Delay and disruption
Tips
- Name people, places and hours, not conclusions
- Write the site diary the same day, every day
- Record the ordinary days too
- Build from what your people already produce
- Close gaps while the facts are warm
- Check the notice requirement as soon as delay arises
- Send the notice in the form, and to the address, the contract names
- Keep proof that the notice arrived
- Let the records set the claim's size
- Build preliminaries on the applicable valuation basis
- Source every rate on the page
- Hunt your own double counting
- Separate your own contribution to the delay
- Keep the time case and the money case in step
- Have someone check the claim with fresh eyes
- Check the notice rule when delay starts
- Support a delay notice with the required detail
- Check liquidated damages for a cap and a comparison
- Recalculate the liquidated damages before you argue about the delay
Completion and contract endings
Tips
- Keep a running final account from the first valuation
- Structure it by heads, not by grievance
- Tie every line to a document
- Keep entitlement and quantum separate
- Know your range before the first meeting
- Understand the items behind a settlement offer
- Check payment rights while the final account is discussed
- Assess the right route when one item is stuck
- Value the case before you value the fight
- Test the evidence, not the grievance
- Check the machinery before the merits
- Diarise the final certificate's conclusive evidence period
- Close the account while the people are still there
- Diarise each retention release trigger and payment date
- Check the retention on every certificate
- Apply for retention through the correct payment process
- Ask for the certificate, not just the money
- Send important notices to the responsible person immediately
- Answer a default notice in writing, inside its period
- Check the legal route before stopping work
- Record the works as they stand on the termination day
- Read their cost to complete against your original scope
Dispute resolution and defence
Tips
- Read each amendment against the clause it changes
- Ask for the main contract before you sign a back-to-back subcontract
- Make your quote's exclusions part of the contract
- Avoid a battle of the forms before you start work
- Ask for the few amendments that move the most money
- Price the terms you cannot change
- Put every notice period and time bar in the diary before work starts
- Give your site team one page on what the contract requires
- Test the payment clauses on a real month before your first application
- Read a letter of intent like a contract and track its cap
- Get the price basis written into the letter, not just the cap
- Check the payment process on a letter of intent
- Keep the records behind work on a letter of intent
- Build a dated chronology before you argue what was agreed
- Take every payment date from the signed contract and its amendments
- Build the full calendar of dates at the start of the job
- Set reminders ahead of the deadline, not on it
- Know how your contract counts days
- Send the payment application to every recipient the contract names
- Check the contract permits how you're sending it
- Prepare early; serve in the permitted window
- Follow the contract's format requirements to the letter
- Attach the back-up before anyone asks for it
- Photograph the work weekly before it is covered up
- Call to confirm the payment application arrived
- Put the call in writing straight after
- Keep one folder per payment cycle
- Keep what you actually sent, not the working file
- Name documents so a stranger could follow them
- Track every contract's cycles in one place
- When a pay less notice lands, check the process and the figures separately
- Before relying on silence, confirm no notice was served
- Get the paperwork looked at early
- Read the payment terms against your cash flow before you sign
- Get a full payment schedule written into the contract
- Chase the day it's overdue, not the month after
- Don't let a balance build while you keep working
- Know your right to suspend, and its procedure
- Put the interest in every chaser, from the first
- Get it in writing before the work starts
- Check who actually has authority to instruct
- Check revised drawings for potential variations
- Open a file per variation on the day it arises
- Keep the changed work separate in your costs
- Photograph the condition before you change it
- Argue changed conditions, not just changed quantities
- Check the full valuation effect of omitted work
- Make the assessor respond in writing
- Watch the notice regime on disputed variations
- Escalate while the evidence is fresh
- Notify the event promptly using the right procedure
- Record when you became aware of the event
- Diarise the quotation period the day you are asked to quote
- Use the valuation rules in your NEC contract
- Answer a refusal on the ground it gives
- Compare the assessment line by line
- Name people, places and hours, not conclusions
- Write the site diary the same day, every day
- Record the ordinary days too
- Build from what your people already produce
- Close gaps while the facts are warm
- Check the notice requirement as soon as delay arises
- Send the notice in the form, and to the address, the contract names
- Keep proof that the notice arrived
- Let the records set the claim's size
- Build preliminaries on the applicable valuation basis
- Source every rate on the page
- Hunt your own double counting
- Separate your own contribution to the delay
- Keep the time case and the money case in step
- Have someone check the claim with fresh eyes
- Put a base date and a validity period on every quotation
- Name the volatile materials and how they will be adjusted
- File every supplier price increase the day it arrives
- Check the notice rule when prices move
- Split the rise by cause before you claim it
- Check and respond to a deduction promptly
- Ask for the records behind each deduction
- Get finished areas signed off before the next trade moves in
- Respond to a notice to put work right
- Check the notice rule when delay starts
- Support a delay notice with the required detail
- Check liquidated damages for a cap and a comparison
- Recalculate the liquidated damages before you argue about the delay
- Keep a running final account from the first valuation
- Structure it by heads, not by grievance
- Tie every line to a document
- Keep entitlement and quantum separate
- Know your range before the first meeting
- Understand the items behind a settlement offer
- Check payment rights while the final account is discussed
- Assess the right route when one item is stuck
- Value the case before you value the fight
- Test the evidence, not the grievance
- Check the machinery before the merits
- Diarise the final certificate's conclusive evidence period
- Close the account while the people are still there
- Diarise each retention release trigger and payment date
- Check the retention on every certificate
- Apply for retention through the correct payment process
- Ask for the certificate, not just the money
- Photograph with context, then detail
- Know who will answer a claim before it lands
- Remeasure their figure before you argue with it
- Separate what their claim is worth from what it costs to fight
- Send important notices to the responsible person immediately
- Answer a default notice in writing, inside its period
- Check the legal route before stopping work
- Record the works as they stand on the termination day
- Read their cost to complete against your original scope
Sources, updates and editorial approach
Guidance focuses on England and Wales. Your contract, amendments, facts and jurisdiction can change the answer. Follow each resource's author, sources and revision date.
Quantsurv provides claims consultancy. Comparisons explain criteria and trade-offs; they are not independent endorsements. AI assists with drafting and organising the library; publication under a named author does not mean independent expert verification.