Commercial building and construction disputes

Work that was defective, delayed, or cost far more than agreed.

How we can help

Reviewing the contract, quotation, variations and payment terms
Instructing surveyors and experts to evidence defects or delay
Claims for the cost of remedial works and consequential loss
Defending claims for payment where work was not properly done
Advising on adjudication under construction contracts
Pursuing contractors, and claims under warranties or guarantees

Your solicitor

Dean Smith

Dean SmithSolicitor

What happens next

Send us the contract, invoices, variations and photographs of the work.
We advise on liability and instruct an independent expert where needed.
We pursue the claim through adjudication, negotiation or proceedings.

Fees for this work

Charged hourly with staged estimates. We will always weigh likely recovery against the cost of pursuing it.

Common questions

What is adjudication?

A fast statutory dispute procedure available under most construction contracts, producing a binding decision in weeks rather than months. It is well suited to payment disputes and is often the most efficient route where it applies.

The contractor wants paying but the work is defective.

You may be entitled to withhold or set off the cost of remedial works, but withholding without a proper basis — and, under construction contracts, without the correct notices — puts you in breach. The notice requirements are strict and easily missed.

Can we get someone else to finish the job?

Usually, but tell the original contractor first and give them a reasonable opportunity to put things right. Failing to do so can significantly reduce what you recover.

The contractor has dissolved the company.

Recovery becomes difficult but not always impossible. There may be claims against individuals, insurers, or under a warranty or guarantee scheme. Check whether the work was covered before writing it off.

Tell us what's happened

Confidential, reviewed by a solicitor, answered within one working day.