The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Allow for delay before you price or promise a construction completion date. The reliable approach is to (1) map every approval that can gate work, (2) put time and money entitlement in the signed contract, (3) maintain a live baseline schedule and written notice trail, and (4) hold a risk-linked contingency whose drawdown is approved and traceable. Statutory approval periods are planning inputs, not guaranteed dates, and no single contingency percentage fits every project.
Why delay planning starts before mobilisation
A project can be fully designed and still unable to start lawfully. A planning consent, building-control approval, highways agreement, environmental permit, utility approval or land-access condition may sit on the critical path. A later approval can also gate only one phase, such as excavation, façade installation or occupation. Treating every approval as if it has the same legal effect creates either an unlawful start or unnecessary idle time.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Delay also becomes expensive when the contract does not say who bears it. Without a defined extension-of-time (EOT) process, a late owner decision, an authority instruction and a contractor-resourcing problem can turn into the same argument about “slippage.” The contract should distinguish time entitlement from compensation entitlement, and both from the contractor’s own responsibility.
Recommended Free Tools
RICS notes that delays occur on most construction projects. That is not a reason to accept uncontrolled overrun; it is a reason to make the project’s assumptions, notices, records and financial limits explicit.
#1 Best Overall
- Valued Carpenter Pencil Set: You will get 2 pcs solid carpenter pencils with 26 piece 2.8 mm refills, 1 replaceable sharpener, 1 plastic storage box.The complete carpenter pencils combination allows you to finish your work faster and more easily
- Deep Hole Marker Pencil: The deep-hole construction pencils adopts 45mm elongated tip design, which is more convenient to mark in the small hole or in other tight areas that other carpenter markers cannot reach
- Carpenter Pencils with Sharpener: The sharpener is screwed into the top of the work pencil, which won't get lost either. Built-in pencil sharpener that keep the lead with pointed and smooth to Improves line of sight in fine work
- Stronger Solid Lead: This work pencil is matched with a 2.8 mm thick lead , which is much thicker and stronger during the drawing process of construction work, it will not break or damage easily
- Marks on Various Surfaces: 3 colors solid construction pencil can marks on various surfaces,such as metal, plastic, wood, paper etc. Ideals for woodworkers, contractors, craftsmen, builders, merchants and masons
Build an approval register that protects the critical path
Create the register during design development and update it at every design freeze. Each line should have one accountable owner and a latest date derived from the programme, not merely the authority’s published service standard.
- Authority and approval: name the planning authority, building-control body, regulator, utility or other approver.
- Prerequisite: list surveys, calculations, fire strategies, ownership evidence, fee payments, consultations and other information required for a valid submission.
- Submission package and responsible person: identify the document set, designer, contractor or client representative who will issue it.
- Submission date and statutory review period: record the actual date filed and the period that applies to that application type.
- Expected decision date and resubmittal allowance: show a realistic date plus time for questions, corrections and a second review.
- Latest date preserving the critical path: calculate when approval must be in hand before float is consumed.
- Gate or phase: state whether no physical work may start, or only a later activity is blocked.
Use an explicit float allowance for information requests and review cycles. A statutory period normally begins only when a complete application is accepted, and complexity, consultation, missing information or resubmittal can extend the actual elapsed time.
Illustrative approval periods in England
The following periods are examples from current England guidance. They are not universal promises and do not replace confirmation from the authority having jurisdiction.
| Approval route | Published period | Planning implication |
|---|---|---|
| Full-plan building-regulations application | Decision generally within 5 weeks, or within 2 months where the applicant consents to the longer period | Use the longer period only when consent has actually been given; allow additional time for validation questions or resubmission. |
| Planning application | Statutory periods of 8, 10 or 13 weeks, depending on application type | Confirm the category and local process; the period is a target for determination, not a guaranteed approval. |
| Higher-risk building-control application | Assessment periods of 8 or 12 weeks | For higher-risk buildings, work must not start before building-control approval. Put the approval date ahead of the planned start, not inside the mobilisation period. |
For a project outside England, replace these examples with the applicable jurisdiction’s rules. Permit names, statutory clocks, appeal rights and “deemed approval” provisions differ materially.
Rank #2
- Ergonomically Designed: Work in tight areas with a compact design that gets into tough spots
- Both tools are designed to fit into difficult to reach spaces
- Complete a wide range of applications with a high-performance motor that delivers up to 300 UWO, and an impact driver delivering up to 1,400 in-lbs of torque
- Both the DEWALT impact driver and drill driver feature integrated LED work lights with a convenient 20-second delay, ensuring enhanced visibility in dimly lit or challenging work areas
- One-Handed Loading - Keep one hand free with a 1/4 in. hex chuck that accepts 1 in. bit tips
Separate legal start gates from later-phase approvals
Mark each register item as one of three conditions: no work may begin, only a defined activity may begin, or approval is needed before completion or occupation. This prevents a late approval for a later phase from stopping lawful enabling work, while ensuring that a genuine start prohibition is respected.
For every gate, add a hold-point in the baseline schedule. The hold-point should identify the evidence that releases it, the person authorised to release it and the activities that remain prohibited until release. Do not rely on an informal email saying that approval is “expected.”
Write delay entitlement into the contract
Agree the delay regime before execution. A clause that merely says the contractor is entitled to “reasonable time” leaves the critical questions unresolved: what event qualifies, when notice is due, how concurrency is handled, and which costs are recoverable.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsClassify events clearly
| Category | Typical examples | Minimum contractual treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Excusable, usually time-only | Neutral authority delay, unusually severe weather defined by the contract, or an owner-caused event where cost recovery is excluded | State the EOT test, evidence required and whether liquidated damages are suspended. |
| Compensable | Late owner information, owner-directed change, denied access or an owner suspension | Provide EOT plus a defined method for valuing prolongation, disruption and approved overhead. |
| Contractor-caused | Late procurement, inadequate labour, defective work or failure to coordinate subcontractors | No EOT or compensation; state recovery obligations and any applicable damages. |
| Concurrent | An owner delay and a contractor delay affecting the same critical activity during overlapping periods | Define the governing rule rather than leaving entitlement to an argument after the fact. |
Also state whether an event must affect the critical path, how float is treated, and whether mitigation is required even when the event is excusable.
Rank #3
- 【Great Compatibility】This Katerk 1/4 inch hex shank bit holder is specifically designed for 1/4 inch hex shank drill bits. It's compatible with most 1/4 fast hex handles, hex sockets, various electric screwdrivers, and handheld screwdrivers. The bit holder makes it a valuable addition for any handyman.
- 【Secure and Safe】Built with a secure backup nut design, each drill bit holder securely locks onto your bits, ensuring they stay firmly in place. Additionally, our bit holder incorporates a high-quality steel ball rolling design that holds up to several kilograms of weight, ensuring your various drill bits don't fall off.
- 【Easy One-Handed Operation】The bit holder for impact driver allows you to change bits single-handedly, simplifying your workflow. Its multi-color design further allows for quick identification of the drill bit you need.
- 【Compact and Convenient】Thanks to its compact size, this 1/4 inch bit holder is easy to carry around. The bit holder allows for easy attachment to various tools, making this a convenient addition to your construction accessories. The Katerk bit holder is cast from high-quality alloy material, promising a long product lifespan. Despite its rugged strength, the bit holder remains lightweight, making it portable.
- 【Cool Christmas Gift For Men Stocking Stuffers】 This screwdriver bit holder, driver bit holder, impact bit holder, can be given as a gift to your loved one, especially for anyone involved in construction or electrical work. It's a must-have for stocking stuffers for men and women, tools gifts for dad, tech gadgets for men, gifts for dad, gifts for him, gifts for husband, gifts for boyfriend, cool gadgets for men, and cool gifts for dad.
Specify notice, updates and the EOT decision
- Define the notice channel, recipient, required particulars and deadline. Require the notice to identify the event, start date, affected activities, present forecast and immediate mitigation.
- Require a contemporaneous schedule update at an agreed frequency. The update should show the approved baseline, actual progress, remaining duration and the activities said to be affected.
- Set a time for the contract administrator or owner to respond, request information and issue an interim or final EOT decision.
- Require a continuing-impact notice when the effect changes, and a final account of days and costs when the event ends.
- State the consequence of late notice: loss of a remedy, a reduced remedy, or another agreed outcome. Make the consequence enforceable under the governing law.
For U.S. federal procurement, FAR Part 11.702 provides a specific example: when a quantity change produces delay, a contractor seeking an extension must request it in writing within 10 days from the beginning of the delay. Do not transplant that deadline into a private contract without checking the executed terms and governing law.
Deal with changes, suspensions and stop-work directions
Use a written change-order mechanism that sets out scope, price, time and schedule impact before the changed work proceeds where practicable. For unit-priced work, FAR Part 11.702 recognises that a quantity increase or decrease above 15% can support an equitable adjustment; the rule is a U.S. federal contracting reference, not a universal private-sector threshold.
Define who may suspend work, how the contractor protects the site, what demobilisation and remobilisation costs are recoverable, and when suspension becomes a termination right. FAR Subpart 42.13 illustrates the distinction between an unreasonable suspension and a normal contract administration event: a contractor may submit a written claim for increased performance cost, excluding profit, when the suspension is unreasonable.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchPC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Set liquidated damages as a forecast, not a penalty
State the completion milestone, grace periods, daily rate, cap if any, and the events that extend the milestone. FAR guidance says a rate should include daily inspection and superintendence costs and may include expected expenses such as substitute property or living allowances. Calculate the rate from a defensible forecast of actual exposure and ensure local law permits the clause; a punitive amount may not be enforceable.
Rank #4
- Long Nib and Deep Hole Marker: Our mechanical carpenter pencil with 45mm nib is designed for easy marking of deep holes or narrow areas. These construction pencils are the great choice for woodworking tools, construction tools, carpenter tools, contractor tools, wood carpentry tools and architect tools
- Extra Refills in 2 Colors for Versatile Marking: The construction mechanical pencil comes with 12 extra 2.8mm refills, including 6 red and 6 black refills. The black refill is suitable for light surfaces, while the red wax is perfect for dark surfaces. Our carpenter mechanical pencil makes sure that you'll have an ample supply for extended use
- Built-in Sharpener: Our construction pencil comes with a built-in sharpener to ensure the mechanical pencil tip is always sharp and ready for use. Never buy an extra pencil sharpener again. A great tool for any woodworker pencil, contractor pencils. The refill can easily be extended or retracted with a simple click of the pencils mechanical, allowing you to work more efficiently and accurately
- Portable Clip Design: Our deep hole construction pencil features a portable clip design, easy to carry and attach to your pocket or tool box, so that you can keep the carpenter pencils mechanical close at hand, making it a convenient tool to have on the go. Great gifts choice for carpenters
- Stronger Pencil Lead: The black refills are made of lead, sturdy and smooth. The red refills are made of wax, clear and light. These marking pencils are much thicker and stronger than normal pencils during the marking process of construction work, suitable for various surfaces, such as glasses, metal, boards, floors, walls, furniture, etc. The written marks can be easily wiped with a wet paper towel when needed
Who pays when an approval, decision or access issue delays work?
Responsibility follows the contract’s risk allocation and the facts, not simply the identity of the person who pressed “submit.” Use a decision matrix before the project starts.
| Delay situation | Questions to answer | Likely administration |
|---|---|---|
| Owner’s incomplete or late submission | Was the owner responsible for the package, fee or prerequisite? Did the contractor warn of the missing item? | Potential compensable owner delay if notice and causation are proven; grant EOT to the extent the critical path moved. |
| Authority takes longer than its stated period | Was the application valid and timely? Did the contract make authority delay an excusable event? Could the party have escalated or appealed? | Often time relief, with money only if the contract makes the risk compensable. |
| Contractor’s defective or incomplete submission | Did the error cause rejection, resubmittal or a lost start date? | Normally contractor risk, including recovery measures and any resulting damages. |
| Owner decision or information is late | Was a response date set? Did the contractor issue a timely request and identify the affected activity? | Potential EOT and prolongation cost, subject to mitigation and concurrency rules. |
| Access or possession is unavailable | What possession date and access conditions are in the contract? Was partial access usable? | Apply the possession clause; value only the demonstrable critical-path and cost effect. |
Keep “who caused the event” separate from “what it cost.” A contractor may receive time but no money, or money for a defined period but no additional time if float absorbed the event.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Set a construction contingency from identified risks
There is no evidence-based universal contingency percentage. A defensible allowance is built from the project’s risk register and uncertain quantities, then tested against the remaining design and procurement uncertainty.
Build the allowance
- List each risk, its trigger, owner, probability and cost or time impact.
- Separate design development, quantity uncertainty, escalation, access, approvals, utilities, ground conditions and delay-related prolongation; do not hide every risk in one unexplained percentage.
- Record the estimating basis, exclusions, assumptions and the point at which the risk is retired.
- Use scenario ranges where a single outcome is not credible. Identify the amount needed for a plausible adverse case, not an arbitrary round number.
- Reforecast at each design release, tender return, contract award and major approval.
FHWA recommends a construction contingency for additional work identified after design and award. FAR Part 36 also recognises that uncertain quantities can require substantial contingency. These principles support a transparent allowance, not a fixed percentage.
Best Value
- Milwaukee Ink all Fine Point Marker, Black, 4 Per Pack
- 4 per pack Features Clog Resistant Marker Tip Writes through Dusty, Wet and Oily Surfaces Durable Marker Tip for Writing on Concrete, OSB and Rough Surfaces
- Clog resistant tip writes on dusty, wet and oily surfaces and is optimized for rough surfaces such as OSB, cinderblock and concrete
- Hard hat clip- attaches for easy access
- Quick dry time with reduced smearing and marking
Govern every draw
For each draw, record the trigger, approving authority, date, amount, affected cost code, remaining balance and forecast at completion. A contingency draw is not a budget increase without explanation; it is a documented transfer from an identified uncertainty to an actual event. Set escalation thresholds, such as a review when a defined share of contingency or schedule float is consumed.
Maintain a schedule and record that can support a claim
Approve a logic-linked baseline with calendars, milestones, critical and near-critical activities, assumed approval dates and float. Issue current updates on a fixed cycle and preserve every superseded version. A schedule that is overwritten cannot show what the team knew when a decision was made.
Log each late submittal, unanswered request for information, inspection failure, change, access restriction, weather event and owner or authority instruction against the affected activity. Daily records should capture labour, plant, deliveries, work areas unavailable, resequencing, standby and mitigation. Preserve photographs with date, location and a clear description; retain transmittals, meeting minutes, programme narratives and approval correspondence.
Code time-related costs consistently. Separate site supervision, temporary facilities, equipment standby, remobilisation, subcontractor claims, extended insurance and financing from direct change work. This lets the reviewer test whether a claimed cost is actually caused by the delay period.
Document and analyse a delay claim step by step
- Issue the event notice. Identify the contractual clause, event, start date, responsible party if known, affected work and immediate protection or mitigation.
- Preserve the contemporaneous position. Save the baseline, latest update, look-ahead, site diary, photographs, instructions, delivery records and cost records existing at that time.
- Demonstrate causation. Trace the event to a specific activity, show why that activity controlled or threatened completion, and distinguish actual impact from a forecast that later disappeared.
- Address concurrency. Identify overlapping contractor and employer events, their timing and whether either one independently controlled completion.
- Quantify time. Show the original milestone, the affected sequence, mitigation or resequencing, recovered days and the net EOT requested.
- Quantify money separately. Tie each cost to an approved rate, invoice, payroll record or other auditable basis and remove avoided costs, profit where excluded and unrelated inefficiency.
- Update the forecast and close the event. State the remaining exposure, contingency draw, revised completion date and any action needed to prevent recurrence.
RICS guidance addresses delay costs, EOT clauses, BIM-based assessment and the strengths and weaknesses of delay-analysis methods. Select a method that fits the records and the timing of the question; a sophisticated model cannot cure an unreliable baseline or missing notices.
Coordinate concurrent contracts and escalation
When separate design, enabling, main works and specialist contracts overlap, one late handover can create several claims. FHWA cautions that concurrent contracts require close schedule coordination. Use one integrated milestone map, shared interface dates and an agreed protocol for reporting predecessor slippage.
Set escalation paths before a date is missed: a pre-application or permit meeting; an owner decision deadline; a designer response service level; a subcontractor recovery plan; and executive review when float or contingency crosses its threshold. Escalation should produce a decision, not another unrecorded conversation.
Quick Recap
Common failure modes and the correction
- Using the statutory period as the start date: add validation, information-request and resubmittal allowances, and confirm when the clock actually begins.
- Starting work on an assumption of approval: identify the legal hold-point and obtain written release, especially for higher-risk buildings in England.
- Giving verbal notice: send the contractual notice through the required channel and preserve proof of delivery.
- Updating only the completion date: show the affected activities, logic, float and mitigation in the schedule update.
- Applying one contingency percentage to every risk: use a risk register, retire closed risks and document each draw.
- Claiming all site overhead as delay cost: tie each item to the proven delay period and the contract’s recoverability rules.
- Ignoring concurrency: analyse overlapping events contemporaneously instead of asserting that the other party is solely responsible.
- Leaving liquidated damages untested: verify the rate, milestone, extensions and local enforceability before contract signature.
A practical control cycle
- At design release, refresh the approval register, risk register and baseline dates.
- Before each submission, complete a checklist of prerequisites, fees, signatories and affected activities.
- At every progress meeting, review open approvals, unanswered decisions, float, critical-path movement and contingency balance.
- Within the contract notice period for any event, issue the notice and create a linked record in the delay log.
- At each schedule update, test actual impact, concurrency, mitigation and forecast completion.
- At close-out, reconcile EOT decisions, approved changes, liquidated-damages exposure and unused or transferred contingency.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
