Section Where you go if you disagree on either three elements entitlement, impacts or costs Begins with the contractors notice 5 working days after the resident engineers decision. ◦ From this point all correspondence sent certified return receipt
Wydot documentation ◦ Create a file at notice or before - Start of claim manual ◦ Documentation is vital, have good practices in place from the beginning. Regular and complete diaries, letters, photos, videos Pay documentation T-109s, E-78s, grading reports ◦ Other resources Trauner manual DCE, Construction staff
Section ◦ The Claim Package List of supporting documentation Certification Basis for entitlement stated and supported May have evolved over time Correspondence- 5 day letter Pictures Diaries, time cards
Section ◦ The Claim Package Impacts stated and supported Schedules, analysis Costs/ time extension stated and supported tied to impacts Bid calculations Actual costs and supporting documentation Ask for what you need if it is not provided - certified letter Restart 30 days Get explanations of documents you don’t understand Bid calculations, accounting records
Analysis ◦ Focus on the three elements Entitlement –Impact-Cost All three elements at this stage
Analysis ◦ Entitlement Contract based evaluation Is it a change from the bidding condition? differing site conditions Latent conditions Unusual unknown conditions
Analysis ◦ Entitlement Significant changes in the character of the work Change in character (Grading) Changes in quantity Engineer ordered suspensions Contract provisions LQDs, Quality assurance assessments Warranty work(2 weeks on chip seal, plants for city) Remove and replace quality issues
Impacts ◦ Where the contractor often falls short ◦ Delays, inefficiencies, acceleration, change method and means
◦ Change in method and means ◦ Delays Critical path and noncritical path Non-excusable Excusable Compensable-related to a change Non- compensable - Force majeure Trauner Manual Schedule analysis As constructed schedule vs as-planned schedule Production analysis(measured mile)
Excusable Non compensable delay
Costs ◦ Should be straight forward if the other two elements are done properly ◦ Costs tied to impacts Actual costs Force account ◦ Profit - not allowed for claims ◦ Overhead Job overhead ok Home office overhead - No
Costs ◦ Bid price calculation and production estimates Don’t just get the one item Mobilization ◦ Are there mitigating impacts to costs What is in the unit price Fixed cost Direct cost Job OH Labor
Costs ◦ Contractors source documents Labor records if there are labor cost involved Time cards Payrolls Production records (crushing) What, when and how much
Costs(cont) ◦ Contractors source documents Accounting records OH rate Home office- Not usually recoverable Job overhead Equipment bare rates canceled checks Equipment costs Rental agreements Material costs Purchase orders
The Letter – last chance ◦ Certified return receipt ◦ Entitlement impacts and costs ◦ Thorough, but don’t get lost in the minutia ◦ Analysis, charts and graphs ◦ A fair tone - strict but fair Contractor has 30 days from receipt to respond
Appeal to the District Engineer ◦ The claim manual Brief history/executive summary Completion report Correspondence Numbered and tabbed, oldest is #1, appeal to the District Engineer last Diaries -tabbed Analysis Charts and graphs and source documents Schedules Pictures The contractors claim package
Presenting to the District Engineer ◦ Agenda General overview of the project and claim - RE Presentation of the contractors claim - Contractor Questions for the contractor - District engineer Analysis of the claim and Basis for decision – RE Questions for the RE – District Engineer Discussion
Preparation Organize logically, like your letter Visual aids Power point Know what their arguments will be Be prepared for theatrics, be composed ◦ Show you did your best to consider their arguments From this point on you are just the keeper of the claim manual Appeal to the Chief engineer ◦ Wear a tie
Cartoon credit to Dave Kaufman