A contractor receives shop drawings for structural steel 45 days after submitting them. The contract allows 30 days for review. What is the most appropriate action?
Correct Answer
A) Request a time extension for the delay
The 15-day delay in shop drawing review may impact the project schedule, so requesting a time extension is appropriate to document the delay and adjust the schedule accordingly.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
The 15-day overrun in the review period may have caused a ripple delay in the project schedule. Requesting a time extension formally documents the delay, preserves the contractor's rights, and adjusts the contract completion date. This is the prudent, contractually protective first step.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: Proceed with fabrication immediately
Proceeding with fabrication without addressing the schedule impact ignores the fact that the late return may have already shifted other activities. Fabricating immediately also risks compounding problems if the reviewed drawings contain changes.
Option C: File a claim for delay damages
Filing a claim for delay damages is premature. A time extension should be sought first; monetary claims require proof of actual cost impact and are typically pursued after exhausting other remedies. Jumping straight to a damages claim is aggressive and may violate the contract's dispute-resolution sequence.
Option D: Reject the shop drawings as untimely
Rejecting shop drawings as untimely has no contractual basis — the drawings have already been reviewed and returned. The remedy for a late review is a schedule adjustment, not rejection of the submittal.
Memory Technique
Late review = Time first, Money later. Lock in the time extension while the delay is fresh; delay damages require more documentation and come in a later step.
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