The Claims Illusion
Submitting a claim isn’t the same as recovering money. Too many contractors assume that once the paperwork goes in, payment will follow. The reality? Most claims stall, shrink, or collapse entirely – not because they’re invalid, but because they’re poorly prepared.
Where does it go wrong?
- Notices submitted late, outside contract timeframes.
- Claims built on narrative, not evidence.
- Records missing: site diaries, photos, labour returns.
- Poorly presented submissions that clients won’t take seriously.
The Root Cause
Commercial teams are under pressure and often reactive. They’re fighting today’s fire, not building tomorrow’s case. By the time claims are pulled together, critical evidence is missing or deadlines have passed. Valid entitlement becomes unenforceable.
One real-world example:
On a £25m MEP package, £900k of disruption claims were reduced to £150k. Why? The contractor couldn’t provide contemporaneous records to prove loss of productivity. The entitlement existed – the evidence didn’t.
Evidence Wins, Not Effort
The best commercial teams:
- Log every change in real time.
- Keep photographic and written evidence structured and accessible.
- Train delivery teams on notice requirements.
- Present claims in a professional, auditable format that clients trust.
Final Thought
Claims don’t fail because of entitlement. They fail because of evidence. Protecting recovery means treating claims management as part of daily project delivery – not a scramble at the end.
