Rain, Steel, or the Plumber Who Never Came
The client asks why the slab is late. Three things happened in that fortnight, none of them written down, so the answer becomes a story. He has already heard a different version from your site engineer.
One line, on the day it happened
Work stopped. The supervisor picks the reason and adds a line: no sand at the yard, rain from two in the afternoon, the client’s approval on the tile layout still awaited. Ten seconds at the gate, and that is the whole difference between a record and a recollection.
The reasons that repeat
Rain
Nobody argues with weather, but a fortnight of half days in a monsoon month is worth having on paper when the stage date is questioned.
Material
Steel that did not arrive, or a cement indent nobody approved. The indent record sits right next to it, which is usually the awkward part.
Labour
Men short, or a contractor’s crew that went off to another job. Attendance for that day shows it plainly enough.
Drawing or client approval
A revised drawing that came late, or a decision the client had not taken. This one changes the conversation about who owes whom time.
When the stage date is questioned
None of this wins an argument by itself. Together it usually ends one.
- Stopped days on that stage, with dates and reasons
- The photographs from the same days
- Labour on site on each of those days
- The indent that was raised, and when it was issued
- Planned against actual for every stage on the site
Frequently asked questions
Will site engineers actually record this?
Some will and some will not, honestly. It works where the supervisor already marks attendance on the same screen at the same time. Asked for as a separate task once the site shuts, it quietly stops happening.
Can we add our own reasons?
Yes. The list is set up with the reasons your sites really stop for. A short list gets used and a long one does not.
Does this help when we ask the client for more time?
It gives you a dated record of every delay, with photographs and attendance to put in front of him. Whether more time is granted is a contractual matter between you, the client and your adviser.
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