Three Part Webinar Series: Claims, Change, Scheduling, Close Out--OH MY!
Member Price: $129
Non-Member Price: $199
Description:
Webinar #1: Change Orders & Claims – Wednesday, July 21, 2021, 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT
It is extremely rare for a commercial construction contract to be performed without any changes. Therefore, experienced contractors know that changes will occur, but they don’t know when, why, how, or what they will cost. Being fairly compensated for changes to the work – preferably through the prompt issuance of an appropriate change order, or, if necessary, by pursuing a claim – may determine the success of a project, and, in some cases, the survival of a company. This webinar will address the following topics relating to change orders and claims:
• Standard contract provisions & traps addressing changes & claims.
• Best practices for addressing changes to the work.
• When can a contractor/subcontractor decline to perform changed work?
• Directed vs. constructive changes.
• Who has actual or implied authority to direct a change and what is the difference?
• The importance and forms of communication.
• What is a claim and when and how should a contractor pursue one?
• Change and claim documentation.
• Basics of claims avoidance.
• Elements of a claim and the claim process (when a claim cannot be avoided).
• Importance of professional input.
Webinar #2: Scheduling – Wednesday, August 18, 2021, 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT
In the world of commercial construction, time is money. If a project is delayed, that likely will cost all parties money (even if the scope of the work has not changed); and, ironically, if the project schedule is accelerated, that costs money too (with the question becoming: whose money?). Therefore, the contract provisions concerning the Project Schedule, the Project Schedule itself, and the project’s adherence to that schedule are all extremely important to the success of a project and a contractor’s bottom line. This webinar will address the following topics relating to scheduling:
• The Contract and the Project Schedule, and the nature and importance of their relationship (e.g., why the Project Schedule is made part of the Contract, and the effects of that).
• Construction Scheduling 101 – what every contractor needs to know.
o Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling
o CPM’s vs. bar charts vs. other methods of scheduling
o Durations, Schedule Logic & Sequencing, Float, Early Start & Finish Dates vs. Late Start & Finish Dates
o What scheduling information is typically provided to subcontractors (e.g., “3-Week Look-Ahead Schedules”) and what else a subcontractor needs to know
o The Top 10 CPM Scheduling Mistakes
• The contractual and legal effects of schedule changes, and determining who pays for them.
o Project delays (critical vs. noncritical, and compensable vs. noncompensable)
o Time extensions & liquidated/actual damages (excusable vs. inexcusable delays)
o The cost impact of resequencing and acceleration
o Documenting and demonstrating project delays and their impacts
Webinar #3: Project Close-Out/Backcharges – Tues., Sept. 14, 2021, 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT
It is often said that the last 5% of any construction project takes 95% of the time. While that may be an exaggeration in most cases, it is certainly true that what occurs on a project after substantial completion can go a long way toward determining the success of the project and how the project participants (including the Owner) will perceive and remember the project and the other project participants. This webinar will address the following topics relating to project closeout, as well as backcharges, which sometimes occur during a project and are often a source of contention and conflict:
• Contract requirements.
• Strict compliance vs. substantial compliance, and normal “tolerances”.
• The economic waste doctrine.
• The nature, source, and validity of backcharges.
• The potential impact of out-of--sequence work on a subcontractor’s ability to conform to the contract documents.
• Damage caused by other subcontractors.
• Project cleanup: a frequent source of dispute