In UK commercial construction, a JCT contract uses formal mechanisms known as ‘Relevant Events’ to manage delays to the master programme. If an event occurs that is completely outside your control as a subcontractor, it triggers your right to formally request an Extension of Time (EOT).
What This Actually Means On Site
Let us stop the legal jargon and speak plainly. If the main contractor messes up—whether they fail to hand over a structural area on time, delay material deliveries, or scaffolding is not ready—you cannot just sort it out over a quick chat or a cuppa on site. You must formally log it. It means putting the delay in writing immediately. If you do not put it on record, as far as the contract is concerned, the delay never happened.
The Cost of Getting Wrong
Here is the brutal truth. If you fail to issue that formal Extension of Time notice correctly, you carry the blame. The main contractor can, and will, legally deduct heavy Liquidated and Ascertained Damages (LADs) from your payment applications. You will end up paying out of your own pocket for site delays you did not cause, which will completely wipe out your profit margin.
This contract scanner is not some generic software built overseas. I designed the logic specifically for the UK construction industry alongside the team at Your Tech Neighbour. It does one job: it reads your PDF documents and highlights the exact traps a main contractor is trying to hide in the small print so you do not get caught out.
Do not risk your livelihood on tools that do not know a JCT clause from a standard invoice. A flawed review means you miss unfair retention terms or brutal liquidated damages, leaving your cash flow completely exposed. I run this platform locally in the UK to ensure your business is protected.
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