What’s your best defence when dealing with construction disputes (aside from avoiding them in the first instance!)?

Records. Records. Records!

Accurate & contemporary records are invaluable if you ever find yourself in a dispute situation.

So, what records should you be keeping?

• They should be accurate. This goes without saying;
• They should be written in such a way that someone unfamiliar with the project fully understands what the record is saying;
• They should be contemporary. Records written contemporarily carry more weight than those written after the fact;
• They should record what didn’t happen and why. Claims aren’t brought because things go right.
• They should contain photographic evidence. There is no denying a properly taken photo;  They should contain samples if appropriate;
• They should contain marked up programmes highlighting the delay & its consequences.

The more information you have in support of your claim the better. The actual form of the record may vary depending on the claim but the adage ‘records, records and more records’ holds true for any situation.

Proper record keeping can mean the difference between success & failure in claims situations – don’t get let down by yours!