Delay notification letter template
Use this the moment an event outside your control starts to hold up your works — late information, late access, a design change, or another trade blocking your front. A prompt written notice preserves your right to an extension of time and to recover the cost of the delay.
When to use it
On a busy site, delays get absorbed silently — you work around them, make up time, and say nothing. Then at the end of the job you're blamed for the overrun and hit with delay damages. The delay notification breaks that pattern. It records, in real time, that the cause was not yours. Sent promptly, it's the difference between a defensible extension of time claim and a costly argument you can't evidence.
What to include
- The event causing the delay, and the date it began.
- Its effect — or likely effect — on your programme.
- That you reserve the right to claim an extension of time and associated cost.
- A request that the main contractor acts to mitigate (issue the information, grant access, instruct the other trade).
The template
[YOUR COMPANY NAME]
[Your address]
[Main contractor name]
[Their address]
[Date]
Dear [Name],
Re: [Project name / reference] — Notification of delay
We are writing to notify you, in accordance with [clause reference / the
subcontract], that our progress is being delayed by the following event:
[Describe the cause, e.g. "the outstanding structural details for grid
lines C–E, requested in our RFI [number] on [date] and still not issued,
which prevent us from commencing the second-fix installation."]
This event began to affect the works on [date] and is currently [delaying /
likely to delay] our progress by approximately [number] working days. It is not
a matter within our control.
We reserve our right to claim an appropriate extension of time and to recover
any additional cost, loss and expense arising. We will provide a fuller
assessment as the impact becomes clear.
To limit the effect on the programme, we ask that you [issue the outstanding
information / provide access to the area / instruct the relevant party] as a
matter of urgency.
Yours faithfully,
[Your name]
[Your position]
[Your company]
This template is general guidance, not legal advice. Notice periods and delay provisions vary between subcontracts — check yours and take professional advice before relying on it in a live dispute.
Let Shield write it for you
Shield Index watches your project email for the signals of a delay — late information, a programme impact, a delay notification buried in a reply — and attributes responsibility. When a delay and a programme impact land on the same project, it can draft this notification and even suggest the follow-up Extension of Time notice, with the source emails cited as evidence.
Common questions
What is the difference between a delay notification and an Extension of Time claim?
A delay notification is the early warning — it tells the main contractor that an event is affecting, or is likely to affect, your progress, usually within a short window required by the subcontract. An Extension of Time claim comes later and quantifies the delay: it sets out the days claimed, the grounds and the supporting evidence, and formally requests that your completion date is moved. The notification protects your right to make the claim.
How soon must I notify a delay?
As soon as you become aware of the event, and within any period stated in your subcontract. Many contracts make prompt notice a condition of your entitlement, so a late notice can bar an otherwise valid claim. When in doubt, notify early and in writing — you can add detail later.
Who is responsible for the delay?
It depends on the cause. Late information, late access, delayed instructions or the acts of the main contractor or other trades are typically the responsibility of others and can support an extension of time and, sometimes, loss and expense. Your notification should identify the cause clearly so responsibility can be attributed and the programme impact assessed.
Related templates
Extension of Time (EOT) notice Variation confirmation letter Late payment notice