Reducing Construction Claims Proactively

To avoid all time or cost claims there must be no changes, no delays, no shortage of qualified craft labor, no late material or equipment deliveries, no bad weather, etc. – all virtually impossible.  However, claims do not have to result in disputes.  Disputes arise when contractors and owners cannot resolve claims by negotiation and transfer unresolved issues to the legal system.  This webinar shows owners and their representatives how to avoid disputes at the end of the project through upfront dispute resolution planning during design, bid and construction phases.

The webinar will discuss:

• four types of reviews to be applied to contract documents
• need for a comprehensive scheduling specification and payment for changes article how to reduce claims based on large numbers of RFIs;
• how to pre-purchase owner-caused delay and lock in daily delay costs at bidding
• how to predict weather for the project
• ways to preclude disputes at project end by resolving issues w/out arbitration or litigation.

Participants will learn:

• value of planning how to avoid disputes from beginning of project
• “ins and outs” of creating a comprehensive scheduling specification
• value and use of a thoroughly drafted Payment for Changes clause
• cost, value, and benefits of using a dispute resolution board
• identify benefits and use of escrow bid documents, project partnering, pre-construction audits, project trending, and short interval schedule submittals.
• use of standing negotiation teams and decision ladders
• new ways to mitigate delay damages and avoid need for difficult cost negotiations and audits in the event of owner caused delay
• ways to resolve claims on projects avoiding project close out in court or arbitration
• to use eleven-point checklist of Owner actions to avoid disputes at project end

• contractors will better understand intent and operation of such clauses in projects which adopt some, or all, of these approaches

Instructor: James G. Zack, Jr. is Principal of James Zack Consulting, LLC

See Flyer for complete details and registration information.