Do You Need to Track Increased Construction Costs to Prove Claims? Get Tips on How to Do It

Do You Need to Track Increased Construction Costs to Prove Claims? Get Tips on How to Do It

As a construction manager, you have a lot to track. While the minimum is your daily report, there are other reports and tracking methods that are a good idea if you want to ensure that any future claims are able to be easily and effectively proven. Read on to learn more about this and then reach out to ECL Software to learn more about JIDO and our fund control software.

Keep a correspondence file

You need a central place to hold all correspondence that relates to each specific claim. This should include any letters or memos you get or send to the DOT as well as any subcontractors. This could be a physical file but we recommend software like JDIO that is safer and more secure.

Track the minutes of all meetings and any internal memos

Anything that’s said or written about the claim should be saved. This includes the minutes from any meeting in which the claim is discussed. Note that you need the minutes from the entire meeting – not just the minutes that relate to the claim specifically. The purpose here is to be able to show that you attempted to get things resolved with the DOT and representatives of the DOT.

Have your plans and specifications on hand

Any type of plan or specification needs to be kept. This can include amendments to the plans, details about specific parts of the claims, clarifications about portions of the plan, and any options the owner has regarding the plans and specifications.

Keep records of change / work orders

Any time a change order or work order is submitted or requested, it should be kept. It should then be filed, either physically or digitally, with any particular part of the work that involves the claim. This is a situation in which more is better – keep any document you think may relate to your claim.

Collect evidence from the job site

There are many pieces of evidence from the job site that you may need. This includes both original schedules and updated schedules with changes on them. This also includes photos of the jobsite and any video taken of it. This shows both the status of the work at various junctures and the situations that lead up to the change.

Ask for files form your subcontractors and suppliers

Any dealing between subcontractors and contractors should be considered to see if it involves the claim in question. Suppliers may also have files that pertain to the case. While there are many situations in which you wouldn’t want to ask for their confidential information, if you need specific files then they’re likely to offer them to you.

It can be hard to know what to keep and how to file it. That’s exactly why ECL Software created a system to make it easy. Reach out to us today via email or by phone at 800-625-5972. We are here to help make your construction process smoother and easier.