Residential Construction Projects

When building a home in the ACT you will ordinarily engage a builder. The very first step in the builder – client relationship is to sign a construction contract. These contracts, particularly where they involve hundreds of thousands of dollars, should always be reviewed by a lawyer.

It is important to get legal advice on a building contract as soon as possible (preferably before signing, but even after signing in some cases). The purpose of this advice is two-fold, to review issues in the contract and to run you through the construction process and how the contract fits into that. The construction process is complex and lengthy. It is necessary to have a base understanding of the process to manage expectations, limit conflicts and identify when the builder is engaging in conduct that is likely to result in a problem down the line.

Misunderstandings that are left unresolved and that fester and escalate until they become extremely expensive problems.

In some instances, builders may take steps to improperly pass on the costs and consequences of bad quality work by trades onto the owner.

The team at Maxwell & Co are familiar with helping both owners and builders in connection with construction disputes. We can assist and advise with building disputes in the ACT and in NSW.