Contract Administration

There’s a moment on most delayed infrastructure projects where the Principal’s team looks at the program, looks at the contractor’s current rate of progress, and decides to send a letter telling the contractor to pull their socks up.

One of the most aggressive moves a contractor can make mid-project is to characterise a regulatory approval requirement as a “legislative change” — and then bill the Principal for it under Cl.49.

If you’ve ever sat down with a contractor’s payment claim and wondered where to start, you’re not alone. PC-13 on the West Dapto Road Upgrade landed with 46 line items across BOQ quantities, rate disputes, variation claims, and subcontractor substantiation requests. Here’s how we worked through it —