Underpayment Prevention
PreventionOptional monthly check
Give your team a clear routine for applications, payment dates and checking every notice that comes back.
Updated: . By Jack Butler-Kettle, Construction Claims Consultant.
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The problem
Applications sometimes go in late or to the wrong person, and Pay Less Notices pass without being checked. Across several jobs, payment deadlines become difficult to track consistently.
Already paid short? See Underpayment Claim. Payments arriving late? See Late Payment Prevention.
The solution
We build the routine around your signed subcontracts, flag imminent deadlines and train your team. They run a live payment cycle with us alongside; we fix any gaps before handover.
What you get
You receive application templates and one payment diary for your jobs, supported by a checklist for late, incorrect or missing notices. We test the routine and set out who does what and when.
Includes a Handover Pack: key dates and sources, next steps, likely responses, scope limits and any ready-to-send letters.
Fee: Fixed set-up fee agreed after we see your subcontracts, before work starts. Includes support through one live payment cycle. Optional monthly checks have a fixed fee agreed first. Pause between jobs or stop at month-end.
Turnaround: ten working days for the set-up, then one live payment cycle alongside your team.
How it works
You tell us how you get paid now
Start with a free call. Agree the scope, fixed fee and timetable in writing, then send the records listed below.
What you get: A written scope, fixed fee and timetable
- A
Each subcontract as signed, with its amendments
The signed subcontract or order for every live job, with its schedule of amendments and every document it brings in.
Where to find it: The order email or the job's commercial folder normally holds the signed copy; the amendments usually sit as a schedule attached to it.
Why we need it: Every date and requirement is taken from the signed wording, and the amendments are where the standard form's dates get moved.
How we will use it: We read each contract's application and notice rules from the signed wording, and build its templates and diary from that, never from the standard form.
- B
A recent application and what came back, per contract
The last application as issued, with the email or portal record of how it went, and any Payment Notice or Pay Less Notice received against it.
Where to find it: The sent items of whoever issues your applications, and the inbox or portal where the main contractor's notices arrive.
Why we need it: It shows how your cycle really runs today and where it leaks, which is what the set-up has to fix. It also tells us where each contract's cycle stands now.
How we will use it: We check it against the contract's requirements and shape the templates and routine so the gaps close. Each contract's diary starts from where it actually is.
- C
An honest description of the current routine
A page or two, written by whoever runs the cycle day to day: what actually happens, not what the procedure says should happen.
Where to find it: Written by whoever actually prepares and sends the applications, not the person who wrote the procedure.
Why we need it: What is written down describes an intention; what actually happens is where the missed dates and unchecked notices come from.
How we will use it: We map the new routine against what people actually do now, so it closes the real gaps rather than the documented ones.
- D
The templates in use
The real, current versions of your application and any trackers, including anything kept on someone's own machine.
Where to find it: Whatever spreadsheet or document people actually use day to day.
Why we need it: A new set that ignores what your team already knows gets dropped, not adopted. Paperwork people already trust is worth keeping if it works.
How we will use it: We adapt what already works into the new templates rather than replacing it wholesale.
- E
Who does what, by role
A short list by role, not by name. Who prepares, signs and sends the application, who reads the notices that come back, and who covers each when they are away.
Where to find it: A short list from whoever manages the commercial team.
Why we need it: A step nobody owns is the step that slips in a busy month, and a role with no cover is a gap in the routine.
How we will use it: We assign every step in the routine to a role, cover included.
Copies are fine. Send what you have and we will tell you what's missing.
- A
We find your dates and where money slips
We take every date from your signed subcontracts and compare them with how you work now. If a date is about to be missed, we tell you that day.
What you get: A written note of where your payment routine lets money slip, and why
We set it up and show your team
We set up your application templates, one diary for all your jobs and a one-page check for every notice. We write down who does what, then walk your team through it.
What you get: Application templates, one diary for all your jobs and a one-page notice check
You run your next payment cycle on it
Your team sends the next application and checks what comes back, with us alongside. We then fix anything the cycle shows up.
What you get: Your templates, diary and routine, corrected and proven on a real payment cycle
You decide whether we keep checking
Your team runs it from here. If you want a second pair of eyes, add our Ongoing check: we look over each cycle and tell you if anything slips.
We hand over a payment cycle your team runs
Get a free report on your claim
Answer the questions below for a free PDF report by email. Allow about three minutes; choose “Not sure” where needed.
Your report explains where you stand, the next steps to take and the records to gather. It also sets out how we could help for a fixed fee, with no obligation.
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Already dealing with it? Underpayment Claim.