Why good claims fail
Most claims are not lost on entitlement. They are lost because the notice went out late, because the records that would have proved causation were never kept, or because the delay analysis could not survive the first serious question. The contractual right existed. The evidence did not.
What this claims course covers
Claims for delay and disruption on building services packages: how entitlement arises, how it is proved, how it is quantified and how it is presented. Eighteen sections, written for quantity surveyors and commercial managers rather than lawyers.
Five fully worked examples and four applied scenarios. Most people spend twelve hours or more on it.
This is not a general construction claims course with services examples added. The causes of delay on an MEP package are not the causes on a general build, and the course is built around that: late design and coordination, being last in the sequence, trade stacking, fragmented second fix, long-lead plant and the commissioning tail.
What you will be able to do
identify which of the three parts of a claim — entitlement, causation, quantum — your case is weakest on, and fix it
run the notice machinery so entitlement is never lost to a time bar
understand why an MEP subcontractor can be time-barred by the contractual chain while notifying entirely within its own period
keep the records that make disruption claims provable, and know which five matter most
choose a delay analysis method and defend the choice
distinguish delay from disruption, and stop claiming the same money twice
build a measured mile disruption calculation from your own project data
quantify prolongation properly, including where you are the last trade on site and your weekly cost rises
handle concurrency, and know why the answer on time differs from the answer on money
calculate head office overhead by the Hudson, Emden and Eichleay formulae, and know which to use
write a claim document an assessor can follow, and analyse one you receive
Who it is for
Commercial managers and quantity surveyors on MEP packages, whether preparing claims or receiving them from specialists. Contractors letting services packages who need to analyse what arrives. No legal background assumed.
Course structure
Eighteen sections.
1-2. Introduction and the contractual basis — JCT, NEC4 and FIDIC routes, and the subcontract forms MEP packages are actually let on
3-4. Records and notices — the foundation, and the time bars that destroy entitlement
5-6. Cause and effect, and extension of time principles
7. Delay analysis methods — impacted as-planned, time impact analysis, as-planned versus as-built, collapsed as-built, windows and time slice
8. Concurrency and float — the Malmaison approach, the Scottish position, and who owns float
9. Prolongation — including the testing and commissioning tail
10-11. Disruption — establishing it, and measuring it by measured mile
12-13. Variations and acceleration
14. Quantum — labour, plant, head office overhead, profit, finance charges
15. Global and total cost claims
16-17. Presenting a claim, responding to one, and disputes
18. Five worked examples, a knowledge check and four applied scenarios
The worked examples
All five are from services packages and all are built from scratch: an extension of time claim on a mechanical package where a specification change adds nine weeks to a lead time; a measured mile disruption calculation showing a 74 per cent productivity loss from trade stacking, with the contractor-caused element deducted; prolongation where the weekly cost rises 40 per cent once the other trades leave site; a concurrency example where the extension of time is worth £40,600 and the prolongation only £8,200; and a complete loss and expense claim assembled head by head.
Curriculum
Common questions about this course
Is this a legal course?
No. It explains commercial practice. Cases are cited to show where a principle comes from, not as a substitute for advice on your own facts. Claims practice touches law more than estimating does, and the course says so where the position is contested.
Does it cover JCT or NEC?
Both, as routes by which a claim arises. There is a separate 88-lesson NEC4 course on this site if you want that contract in depth.
Is it relevant if I receive claims rather than make them?
Yes. Section 16 covers analysing a claim you have received, and the same material tells you where claims are weak. Main contractors and MEP contractors letting specialist sub-packages use it in both directions.
Does it cover the SCL Protocol?
Yes, including what changed between the 1st and 2nd editions. The 1st Edition of 2002 expressed a preference for time impact analysis; the 2nd Edition of 2017 moved away from prescribing a single method. Anyone quoting the preference is working from the superseded edition.
How long does it take?
Most people spend twelve hours or more on it, because the five worked examples and four applied scenarios take real time to work through properly. There is no schedule and no expiry.
How long do I keep access?
Permanently. One payment, no subscription, and revisions are free.
Is there a refund?
Yes. Email within 14 days of buying and you will be refunded in full, no explanation needed.
Related courses
Courses on the contract mechanisms these claims are made under sit alongside this one on the courses page. This course is also included in the MEP Essentials membership.