Service
Claims and variations advisory
Changes in scope, delayed instructions, unforeseen site conditions, design development, access constraints, late approvals, interface issues and employer-driven modifications can materially affect time, cost and commercial performance. CEACM supports clients from the earliest identification of an event, through notice, substantiation, programme impact assessment, cost evaluation, negotiation and determination, and where necessary dispute resolution support.
Balanced approach
Entitlement is managed responsibly. We advise clients on their right to claim and also on their duty to mitigate delay, reduce avoidable cost, maintain progress where practicable and act reasonably under the contract. A claim that shows this is easier for employers, engineers, financiers and auditors to assess.
Documentation standards
On government and donor-funded projects, claims and variations need a high level of discipline and supporting detail. We prepare structured records, clear contractual references, factual narratives, programme evidence, cost build-ups, correspondence history and contemporaneous documents.
What this covers
Variations, claims, prolongation costs, disruption matters, omitted works and change instructions.
Deliverables
- Formal notices and reservation of rights.
- Claims substantiation file: event chronology, clause basis, cause and effect narrative, records matrix, programme link, cost build-up and annexure list.
- Variation and change register: instruction reference, scope, valuation basis, cost build-up, programme effect, status, approval route and payment treatment.
- Claim submissions, including the programme analysis they depend on.
- Negotiation briefs.
- Independent review of a claim already prepared.
When to engage
- When the event happens, not afterwards. Time limits often run from the date a party became aware of the event.
- Before a notice deadline, or when you are unsure whether one has started.
- When records are incomplete and need reconstructing while people still remember.
- When negotiation with the employer or engineer has stalled.
- Before the final account is submitted.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How soon after an event should I get advice?
As soon as the event is known. Many contracts fix a short period for the first notice. Advice at that point can keep records, notices and mitigation steps in order. Rebuilding entitlement later is slower and the records may be weaker.
What is the difference between a variation and a claim?
A variation is a change to the works that the contract provides for and values through a variation procedure. A claim is a request for more time or more money because of an event or circumstance under the contract. The same event can raise both; each follows its own procedure and records.
What records support a prolongation claim?
Typically: the contract and programme, the instruction or event record, site diaries and progress records, correspondence, the programme analysis linking the event to delay, and cost records for time-related costs.
Does CEACM guarantee the outcome of a claim?
No. Outcomes depend on the contract, the evidence and the response of the other party or the determining body. CEACM's role is to identify, prepare and present the position clearly and to advise on options.
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Contact
Tell us about your contract.
Tell us about the contract, the stage it has reached and the decision you need to make. We reply by email.