Delay is rarely one single event — it is usually a chain of smaller ones. Knowing the common causes in advance, and building the habit of recording them properly as they happen, is what turns a difficult project into a defensible one. Here are five of the most frequent causes of construction delay, and what to keep on file for each.
1. Exceptionally Adverse Weather
Ordinary seasonal weather is usually deemed foreseeable and priced into the programme. What matters for a claim is weather that is exceptional against the historical average for that location and time of year.
Document it with: daily weather logs, comparison against published historical data for the site location, photographs, and a clear note of which activities on the critical path were actually stopped or slowed.
2. Late or Incomplete Design Information
Missing drawings, unanswered RFIs, and instructions that arrive after the point the work needed them are among the most common — and most provable — causes of delay.
Document it with: an RFI log showing dates raised, dates due, and dates answered, correspondence chasing outstanding information, and a note of which activities were waiting on that information.
3. Variations and Scope Changes
Even a well-intentioned change can ripple through a programme far beyond the hours needed for the change itself, especially if it affects sequencing or access for other trades.
Document it with: the written variation instruction, a programme fragnet showing the impact, and records of any knock-on disruption to trades that were not directly part of the change.
4. Procurement and Material Delays
Long-lead items, supplier failures, and shipping delays are increasingly common causes of slippage, particularly for imported materials on UAE and UK projects.
Document it with: purchase orders and confirmed lead times, supplier correspondence, expediting records, and delivery notes showing the gap between the promised and actual delivery date.
5. Access and Possession Delays
Late handover of the site or sections of it, or interference from other contractors working in parallel, can delay a contractor through no fault of its own.
Document it with: the contractual possession dates versus actual access dates, site diaries noting restricted areas, and correspondence with the employer or other contractors about the interference.
The Common Thread
Every one of these causes can support an extension of time — but only if the records exist to prove what happened and connect it to the completion date. The best time to start that record-keeping is the first day of the project, not the week a dispute begins.