Extension of time (EOT): definition and example
More time to finish your work, for a delay your subcontract says is not your risk.
By Jack Butler-Kettle · Updated
Guidance for England and Wales. Check the contract, amendments and facts that apply to your job.
What it means in practice
Read this alongside SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol.
An extension of time adjusts the contractual completion obligation where the applicable conditions are met. It should be assessed against the cause and effect of delay, not merely the number of days an event lasted. Time entitlement and financial compensation are separate questions.
Preserve notices and programme records. Extension of time support can help organise the contractual basis and evidence of the delay.
Worked example
The facts
Access to a work area is unavailable for five days, but some planned activities can continue elsewhere.
What happens
The subcontractor identifies which completion activities actually depended on that access.
It compares the resulting delay with available progress and mitigation records.
What this shows
Five days of restricted access do not automatically establish a five-day extension to the completion date.
Sources
- Delay and Disruption Protocol, 2nd edition, February 2017. Society of Construction Law.