During a design-build project, the owner missed a critical design review deadline and the design-builder claims the owner's design review caused the beneficial occupancy delay. After acknowledging the claim, what should the construction manager do next?

During a design-build project, the owner missed a critical design review deadline and the design-builder claims the owner's design review caused the beneficial occupancy delay. After acknowledging the claim, what should the construction manager do next?

• A. Analyze the claim
• B. Review the sustainability plan
• C. Begin arbitration
• D. Recommend litigation

Answer: (A)

Analyzing the claim is the immediate next step. When a delay claim arises, you first verify facts, determine who is actually responsible, and quantify the impact on the schedule. That means reviewing the contract provisions about design-review milestones, gathering records (submittals, review timestamps, meeting notes, emails), and mapping the owner’s missed deadline to the project schedule to see if the delay sits on the critical path. You also distinguish between owner-caused delays and other factors and calculate the extension in days to understand the schedule impact. The analysis guides what to do next—updating the schedule baseline, issuing any required change orders, and deciding whether further dispute resolution is needed. Other options like reviewing the sustainability plan aren’t connected to resolving the delay, and arbitration or litigation would come later if the claim can’t be resolved through analysis and adjustment.

Analyzing the claim is the immediate next step. When a delay claim arises, you first verify facts, determine who is actually responsible, and quantify the impact on the schedule. That means reviewing the contract provisions about design-review milestones, gathering records (submittals, review timestamps, meeting notes, emails), and mapping the owner’s missed deadline to the project schedule to see if the delay sits on the critical path. You also distinguish between owner-caused delays and other factors and calculate the extension in days to understand the schedule impact. The analysis guides what to do next—updating the schedule baseline, issuing any required change orders, and deciding whether further dispute resolution is needed. Other options like reviewing the sustainability plan aren’t connected to resolving the delay, and arbitration or litigation would come later if the claim can’t be resolved through analysis and adjustment.