A crane that cannot lift and an excavator that cannot dig are still on hire, and the operator is still being paid. That cost is real, it is recoverable on most contracts, and almost nobody writes it down on the day it happens — which is exactly why it is almost never recovered.
The delay
Days lost
Use half days where that is what happened
Cause
Determines who wears it, not this tool
Plant standing idle
Anything else still running
Site preliminaries per day $
Supervision, sheds, fencing, amenities — the costs that do not stop
Idle labour per day $
Crew you could not stand down or redeploy
This is a cost, not an entitlement. Whether you recover it depends on your contract, the cause,
and whether you gave the notice the contract requires — usually within a short time bar.
The number here is worth nothing without a dated daily record naming the plant, the hours and the cause.
Build that record on the day, not at the end of the job.
Questions
Should I use the wet hire rate or the dry hire rate?
Use what you are actually being charged while the plant sits. If it is wet hire and the operator is included, put the full rate in the plant line and leave the operator line at zero, or you will count the operator twice.
Does standby usually get paid at the full day rate?
Often not. Many hire agreements have a reduced standby or idle rate, and many contracts cap what is recoverable. Enter the rate you will genuinely be charged rather than the working rate, or the claim will be picked apart.
Is this an extension of time claim?
No. It is the cost side of one. An EOT is about time; this is about the money that time cost you. Both need the notice your contract requires, and most contracts have a strict time bar measured in days.
What record do I actually need?
A dated daily entry naming each item of plant, the hours it stood, the cause, and ideally a photograph. A spreadsheet built at the end of the job from memory does not survive scrutiny. Our free site diary does this on the day.
Three days of standby. Now find it six months later.
The reason standby is rarely recovered is that nobody can produce the daily record. The paid system builds it from the site itself — dated, attributed and attached to the work front, so the claim is already evidenced when you need it.
This is a practical site-management tool. It is not legal, engineering or regulatory advice and does not guarantee compliance or a satisfactory inspection outcome. Requirements may vary by jurisdiction, project, contract and circumstances.
Want a person to look at it?
The tools above are free and yours to use. When you need the paperwork behind them reviewed by someone who has run sites, Obras HSE Services is a live consulting business in south-east Queensland.
SWMS review service — a marked-up review showing what is missing and why it matters.
