Time at large
Time at large occurs when the contractual completion date becomes unenforceable. The builder must only finish in a reasonable time, and liquidated damages cannot apply.
Ask Chalkline about this →Time at large is a legal doctrine that voids the contractual completion date in a building contract, replacing it with an obligation to complete within a “reasonable time.” When time is at large, liquidated damages cannot be enforced, because there is no fixed date from which they can run.
Time goes at large when the owner or principal prevents the contractor from completing on time (for example, by ordering variations or delaying access) and the contract provides no mechanism for the builder to extend the completion date to account for those owner-caused delays. In that situation, Australian courts have held that the owner cannot enforce a completion date they themselves made impossible to meet.
The practical takeaway for builders: if the owner causes delays, claim an EOT in writing immediately. Relying on the doctrine of time at large is not a safe strategy; it is an outcome of last resort when the contract or the EOT process has broken down.
Category: Contracts & commercial
Related
- Extensions of Time (EOTs): how to claim and protect your programme
- Liquidated damages
- Practical completion
See also
Last updated: 2026-05-07. Verified: 2026-05-07. Quarterly review for currency.