Construction is a complex and highly competitive industry. The general contractor, owner, project architect, and subcontractors must take proactive measures against costly claims and litigation. One of the most important tools to defend your construction claim with documentation is creating an environment of full documentation throughout the project.
Proper documentation ensures you can build a strong case for your claim. Make sure your construction project is protected. An important tool is construction project management software that includes a project team member auditing documents for your project. The software that will obtain proper documentation is MySmartPlans.
What is a construction claim?
Disputes that arise between parties during the construction phase or after project completion create additional costs for a construction project. Claims are filed by the general contractor, subcontractors, owner, developer, architect, or engineer. Common types of construction disputes include design defects, delay claims, payment disputes, additional costs incurred, schedule overages, and material shortages.
Documentation is key to defending against construction claims, or potential claims. It provides evidence of contract work and the steps taken to complete the project on time and under budget. Some key types of documentation to include in your construction claim defense, but not limited to, project plans and drawings, change orders, site inspections logs, daily reports, photos and videos, emails, change order logs, bid documents, cost records, the shop drawing log, meeting minutes, correspondence with stakeholders, safety records, payment records, the construction contract, as-built drawings, shop drawings, actual conditions of weather, and cost overruns.
Defend your construction claim with documentation to ensure a simpler dispute resolution with the other party.
The importance of documentation in construction claims
Documentation serves several purposes in a construction claim.
- First, documentation can be used to establish the project requirements through the contract documents.
- Second, documentation can be used to support allegations of breach of contract.
- Third, documentation can be used to establish the damages incurred by the claimant.
- Lastly, well-documented claims are more likely to be successful than those without adequate construction documentation.
Documentation is therefore essential to any construction project’s claim. Without it, dispute claimants find it difficult to prove their case and recover the damages or final payment they are entitled to.
Ensure your documentation is strong enough
In the event of a construction dispute, strong documentation is invaluable to defend your construction claim. There are a few key things to keep in mind.
- Obtain all documents from bids documents through the closeout. Keep them in a safe place where they will not be lost or damaged; ideally with a responsible third party.
- Make copies of all important documents or have them backed up on a server or on a cloud.
- Organize your documentation so that it is easy to find and reference.
- Keep detailed records of all conversations and correspondence related to your claim.
By taking these steps, you ensure your construction documentation is strong enough to defend your claim position. In the event of a dispute you are set up to win.
How to obtain and house the construction claim documentation
MySmartPlans is an online project management platform that streamlines the process of gathering and organizing construction documentation. In the past, contractors often had to collect paper Plans and drawings from multiple sources. That was time-consuming and difficult to keep track of.
Now with the use of MySmartPlans, a Digital Librarian pulls documents, emails, weather data, and documents from other workflow software so your complete project information is in one location. Then the documents are housed on our software, server, and backup server. They can be accessed at least 50 years after the project closeout. The documents pulled by the Digital Librarian are named properly, audited for mistakes, missing documents are tracked down, and searchable on a project dashboard. All documentation is correct and easily accessible for a potential construction claim.
MySmartPlans collects all documentation
Our secret is a personal Digital Librarian who obtains and audits all construction project documentation and organizes it onto our project management software for the project users. This makes the construction process more efficient, creates communication, and helps to avoid errors and omissions.
MySmartPlans is specifically designed to transform the construction industry with its documentation needs. We are the ideal solution for defending your construction claim.
Key Benifits of Using MySmartPlans
Transparency
MySmartPlans allows users to easily access the organized project plans and full documentation in one place. This eliminates the need to search through multiple paper documents, or various software, which can be time-consuming and difficult to keep track of. In addition, the platform includes a Digital Librarian who obtains and audits all project documentation, ensuring that it is accurate and up-to-date.
Clarity
Another key benefit of using MySmartPlans is that it helps to avoid errors and omissions. Our platform streamlines the process of gathering and organizing construction documentation. Our software reduces the chance of mistakes being made during construction.
Eliminate Mistakes
Documents are processed and uploaded to the project dashboard in real time. Immediate document collaboration increases communication and eliminates mistakes. Every document is audited and checked for you so the information passed onto the team is correct.
Defend Your Construction Claim
By using MySmartPlans, construction professionals make it easier to defend against construction claims. MySmartPlans reduces the cause for claims with our document search engine. Our project management platform is an efficient way to access all organized documentation through the lifecycle of the project.
A successful construction project requires complete documentation
Poorly documented projects are most likely to face disputes and claims. MySmartPlans has managed thousands of larger projects for construction professionals who want to optimize their labor productivity and prevent claims. MySmartPlans is the most efficient way to access organized documentation through the lifecycle of the project, avoiding errors and omissions.
You need a way to streamline your documentation process and defend your construction claims. MySmartPlans is the ideal solution.
Your Solution – MySmartPlans
To learn more about our software-as-a-service and how it can help your business, schedule a demo now.
With MySmartPlans, you can rest assured that your documentation will be safe and organized. We make it easy to defend against claims, locate contract documents and keep your projects on track. So why wait? Get started with MySmartPlans today!
Contact Information:
shelley@mysmartplans.com
(816) 479-0261
