Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Time Extensions
• Force Majeure Basics
• Job Records That Stand Up
• Delay Damages Explained
• FAQ
• Conclusion

Introduction

Rain that turns slabs into mud, frost that won’t let render cure, a heatwave that makes roofing unsafe—every renovation team faces weather that stops work. The question is not if it happens, but how you protect your schedule and margin when it does. This guide shows you what to include in contracts, how to notify delays, what records you need, and how to keep clients onside in France, Italy, and Spain.

You’ll get practical steps, country-specific notes (force majeure references, public weather sources), ready-to-use wording, and a simple workflow you can run from your phone. We’ll also show where digital tools save hours and prevent disputes.

Extension Of Time Request Template

Time extensions are won or lost on notice, evidence, and a clear link to the program. Keep it simple and fast—send the notice the day disruption starts, then follow with quantified impact.

Step-by-step process contractors can apply today:

1. Issue Same-Day Notice

• Subject: Notice of Delay – Weather on [Site/Address] – [Date]
• State the activity affected (e.g., external plastering), the reason (heavy rain, sub-zero temps), and that you will quantify impact once conditions normalize.

2. Capture Evidence

• Photos or short videos time-stamped onsite.
• Link to official station data for that day (France: Météo-France station nearest to site; Spain: AEMET; Italy: your regional ARPA/Protezione Civile bulletin).
• Site diary entry with workforce present/stood down and work that could not proceed.

3. Quantify Impact Within 3–5 Working Days

• Identify critical path tasks impacted.
• Show lost productive hours/days (e.g., rain from 08:00–15:00 stopped façade prep and primer application; curing minimum 24h shifted subsequent coats).
• Update a simple look-ahead (7–14 days) with new dates and dependencies.

4. Propose Mitigation

• Weekend work, additional crew, resequencing indoors first, or switching to weather-tolerant tasks.
• Make clear where mitigation has cost or is not feasible (safety, supplier lead times, local noise restrictions).

5. Agree And Record

• Ask for written acknowledgment of the added time and adjusted milestone dates.
• Confirm any cost effects only if your contract allows (often time-only for weather).

Copy-and-send wording you can adapt today:

• Notice: “On [date], persistent rainfall exceeding [X mm/h per official station] made [task] unsafe/impracticable. We are recording today as a non-productive weather day. We will submit updated dates and mitigation within 3 working days.”
• Impact submission: “The lost day on [date] shifts [activity] to [new date], moving [dependent activity] accordingly. See attached look-ahead and weather report link.”

Country notes that matter on site:

• France: Private contracts lean on Code civil art. 1218 (force majeure). Public works use CCAG Travaux notice/schedule rules. “Intempéries” stoppages may be recognized by CIBTP; keep official attestations.
• Italy: Weather can qualify as impossibilità temporanea (e.g., Codice Civile art. 1256). Many Comuni limit weekend/holiday work; include these in mitigation notes.
• Spain: Código Civil art. 1105 addresses fuerza mayor. Use AEMET station reports closest to site; attach PDFs when possible.

Pro tip: Don’t argue the weather; document it. Argue impact and critical path.

Force Majeure Construction Examples

Force majeure is about events beyond control that are unavoidable and make performance impossible or unsafe—not just inconvenient. In renovations, examples that commonly qualify when properly documented include:

• Sudden sub-zero temperatures that prevent mortar/render curing per manufacturer data sheets.
• Heavy rainfall or wind gusts above safe limits that stop façade work, crane lifts, or roof access.
• Civil protection alerts (Italy: Protezione Civile orange/red alerts; Spain: AEMET warnings; France: Météo-France vigilance orange/rouge) advising against outdoor operations.
• Heatwaves exceeding safe exposure levels for roofing or façade works per national guidance.

Events that usually do NOT qualify on their own:

• Normal seasonal rain in regions where it’s expected and not extreme for that period.
• Poor planning (e.g., scheduling exterior paint with no weather contingency).
• Supplier delays unrelated to a weather event.

How to show it’s legitimate:

• Point to manufacturer technical sheets (e.g., “apply between 5°C and 30°C; no rain within 24h”).
• Attach the day’s official station data with thresholds exceeded (gusts, precipitation, temperature).
• Note site safety rules (ladder work, scaffold access) and how conditions breached them.

Regional practice shortcuts:

• France: Include “intempéries” language in your contract with a reference to Météo-France data and list nearby stations accepted as evidence. See Légifrance – Code civil art. 1218.
• Italy: Refer to municipal ordinances and ARPA bulletins for your region. Safety coordinators (CSP/CSE) notes carry weight—ask them to log unsafe conditions.
• Spain: Use AEMET “Avisos Meteorológicos” screenshots plus the hourly station table nearest the chantier.

When in doubt, escalate the safety angle first, then the schedule. Nobody credible wants unsafe work to continue under a scaffold in a gale.

At roughly 40% of projects we review, teams lose time extensions simply because the notice went out late or lacked a weather source link. A 3-line email and a diary entry would have saved them days.

Ready to standardize notices, diary entries, and client updates? Centralize it with Donizo: voice notes to site logs, client-ready delay emails, and schedule shifts visible to everyone—without hunting through message threads.

Site Diary Best Practices

A solid diary turns “it rained” into an indisputable record. Keep entries short, factual, and consistent. What to capture daily in under five minutes:

• Weather snapshot at start, mid-day, end (temp, rain, wind), plus a photo of conditions.
• Crew on site, hours worked, tasks planned vs. tasks completed.
• Blockers: safety concerns, wet substrate, manufacturer constraints (quote the spec line).
• Decisions/approvals from client or site coordinator.
• Evidence links: station data URL, alert screenshots.

Photo habits that win disputes:

• One wide shot (context), one close-up (detail), and one instrument readout (portable thermometer/moisture meter) when relevant.
• Put a tape, rule, or today’s newspaper/date card in at least one shot to anchor time.

Document chain that convinces:

• Day 0 (event): Diary entry + same-day delay notice.
• Day 1–3: Impact quantification + adjusted look-ahead.
• Week’s end: Summary email listing lost hours/days, impact on milestones, mitigation tried.

France/Italy/Spain specifics:

• Many insurers and arbitrators prefer data from the nearest official station. If your site is in a micro-climate (coastal hill, valley), add a low-cost onsite weather sensor to support your case—but always include the official source too.
• If local ordinances restrict noisy works during siesta or weekends (common in parts of Spain and Italy), log these constraints in your baseline plan so weather-driven resequencing isn’t mistaken for poor planning.

Digital-first makes this painless: capture a 20-second voice note as you leave site, auto-transcribe to your log, attach photos, and hit send to the client. That’s exactly what Donizo is built for—field-to-client updates, without paperwork.

Liquidated Damages Renovation

Fixed daily penalties for late completion can destroy a small team’s margin if weather days aren’t carved out and recorded. Manage them upfront and during the job.

Before you sign:

• Cap the daily penalty (e.g., a reasonable percentage of contract value per week, not per day) and set a total cap.
• Exclude adverse weather, client delays, and third-party access issues (e.g., condominium permissions) from penalties.
• Define how excusable delays move milestone dates (automatic time extension upon evidence).

During the job:

• Convert approved weather days into new milestone dates in writing.
• Keep a running “delay ledger”: line-item the cause, dates, evidence link, approval status.
• Don’t wait until handover—send a weekly summary showing where the finish line now sits.

Regional angles:

• France: “Pénalités de retard” are common; pair them with a clear definition of “jours d’intempéries” and accepted proofs (Météo-France). If working under CCAG principles, follow formal notice periods.
• Italy: “Penali di ritardo” should be proportionate; explicit exclusions for weather and condominium restrictions save arguments later.
• Spain: “Penalizaciones por retraso” should list excusable causes; tie time extensions to AEMET warnings and station data.

Simple math example (for client clarity):

• Original finish: 30 June
• Approved excusable delays: 4 days (weather), 2 days (client late tile selection)
• New finish: 6 July
• Penalties apply only after 6 July if no further excusable delays occur.

Protect yourself twice: write weather carve-outs into the contract and prove each day with records.

Need a clean, shared delay ledger and one-click client updates? Use Donizo to log events, attach evidence, and push revised milestones your client can actually follow.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly should I notify a weather delay?

Same day is best. Send a short email before close of business stating the activity affected, safety/product constraints, and that impact will be quantified within a few days. Late notices are the top reason valid claims get rejected.

What proof do clients or insurers accept for bad weather?

Use the nearest official station (Météo-France, AEMET, or your regional ARPA) and attach the exact day’s data. Add site photos and a diary entry. If you have an onsite sensor, include it as supporting information, not the sole source.

Can I recover costs or only time for weather?

Often it’s time only, unless your contract states otherwise. You can propose mitigation with cost (extra crew, weekend work), but get written approval before incurring spend. Public contracts may set specific rules—check your conditions.

What if the client says the rain was “normal for the season”?

Point to manufacturer specs and safety rules, then show thresholds exceeded on that specific day. Your job is to prove impracticability or safety risk, not just inconvenience.

Do condominium rules affect delay claims?

Yes. If building rules restrict hours or access, log them in your baseline and reference them when proposing mitigation. They can limit what’s reasonably possible after weather events.

Conclusion

Bad weather doesn’t have to blow your margin. Win the day by doing three things consistently: send a same-day notice, tie evidence to the program, and get new milestone dates agreed in writing. In France, Italy, and Spain, relying on official sources (Météo-France, AEMET, ARPA) and citing the right legal concepts turns arguments into approvals.

Make this routine easy: capture a voice note, attach photos, paste the station link, and push a clean update your client understands. That’s the workflow we’ve baked into Donizo—field notes to client-ready messages, schedule shifts everyone can see, and invoice timing that stays aligned with reality. If you want fewer disputes and more predictable cash, set up your delay ledger and diary in Donizo before the next storm hits.