Impact of Poor Project Records on Claims Preparation

This technical report discusses the negative effects of inadequate contemporaneous project records on claims preparation and expert analyses in construction projects. It outlines the common deficiencies in project documentation, which often lead to significant challenges during the claims process. The report emphasizes that contractors frequently fail to meet contract requirements for maintaining essential documentation, despite the availability of advanced project management tools. Poor documentation can result in disputes between contractors and owners, as the lack of substantiated claims may lead to skepticism and rejection of change orders. The report also describes various methodologies for analyzing labor productivity and the implications of deficient records on the reliability of these analyses. Furthermore, it suggests proactive measures that owners can take to ensure proper documentation is submitted by contractors, ultimately aiming to improve project outcomes and reduce adversarial relationships during the claims process.