Government construction money discipline
Get paid what the federal construction contract says you are owed
The Government Construction Secrets Book is a field guide to the money-discipline side of federal construction work: the written notices that must go out before you touch anything, the changes and differing-site-condition clauses, delays, pay applications, prompt-payment interest and the disputes path. Each chapter quotes the clause it rests on and ends with what triggers the clock and what you must have written down. A free sample chapter shows the method; the full edition adds the complete guide and a four-document template library.
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What you get
The notice clocks, first
FAR 52.236-2 requires written notice of differing site conditions 'promptly, and before the conditions are disturbed'. That door closes the same day the ground moves, and no later paperwork reopens it. Every chapter ends with what triggers the clock and what you must have written down before you touch anything.
Each money clause, quoted
Changes, suspension of work, delays, pay applications and the disputes path, each anchored to the clause text it rests on and the specific deadline or right that text creates, not a summary of someone else's summary.
The template library
Four fill-in documents that put the method on paper: a written-notice letter, a delay and impact log, a pay-application cover sheet and a closeout checklist, plus checklists for what your lawyer will need from you on a claim.
How it works
Read the free sample chapter
See the method the whole book uses: the clause, the trigger, the clock and the written record. No account needed.
Buy the full edition
$49 one-time unlocks the complete field guide and the template library.
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We create your account after checkout and email you a single-use link to set your password. Every chapter and template opens immediately.
Frequently asked questions
Who is this field guide for?
Small and mid-size construction contractors and subcontractors working on federal projects, and the superintendents, project managers and office staff who have to keep the paperwork straight when something on site changes. It is written for the job, not the classroom.
What is a notice clock, and why does it matter so much?
Several federal construction clauses require you to give the contracting officer written notice within a set time, or before you act. The clause on differing site conditions, FAR 52.236-2, requires written notice promptly and before the conditions are disturbed. Once you have disturbed the conditions, the government cannot investigate them and the right to an adjustment can be lost. That is a door that closes, unlike most of the other steps in the process, which have a remedy.
Is this legal advice?
No. This is a field guide and a set of administrative templates, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. For a formal claim, a certified claim over the simplified threshold, or any dispute that has escalated, engage a qualified government-contracts attorney. The guide tells you what your lawyer will need from you so that engagement is efficient.
Does a mistake on a claim certification kill the claim?
No. FAR 33.207(f) states that a defective certification does not deprive a court or an agency board of jurisdiction over the claim, and requires the defective certification to be corrected before a final judgment or decision. The certification is a sworn statement with a cure, not a trapdoor, and this guide says so plainly.
Where does the information come from?
From the Federal Acquisition Regulation and the contract clauses themselves, read from the eCFR and acquisition.gov, and from the enabling statutes such as the Prompt Payment Act and the Contract Disputes Act. Each chapter links the clause it rests on, quotes the operative language and records the date it was checked.
What is in the free sample chapter?
The chapter on written notices and the money clauses that require them. It shows the method the whole book uses: the clause, the trigger, the clock and the written record that protects your position. Enter your details and we email it to you.
How do I reset my password?
Use the “Forgot your password?” link on the sign-in page. We email a single-use reset link that expires in 60 minutes.
Who runs the Government Construction Secrets Book?
The Government Construction Secrets Book is owned and operated by GCExperts LLC. It is an independent publication and is not affiliated with the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, or any other government agency.