It’s Wise Up Wednesday! Avoid Problems With Construction Contracts
How to Avoid Problems with Construction Contracts
When it comes to helping Specialist Contractors to avoid problems with construction contracts, there are none so blind…
This week’s Wise up Wednesday was inspired by an interview with Owen Morgan the ill fated England Cricket Captain after his side lost to Australia on Tuesday.
The interviewer asked him if he thought his bowlers had bowled in the right areas and he said he thought they had bowled well and been a bit “unlucky”.
Even when the interviewer showed him a graphic showing that Australia’s bowlers had bowled much better, in better wicket taking areas, he wasn’t convinced.
And there we have it, because as the old saying goes “there are non so blind as those that will not see.”
He still refused to acknowledge the truth after having been shown the evidence. And guess what. His side has been defeated not once but 3 times in this World Cup and in all probability they are going out before the quarter finals. A dismal showing for the side that’s supposed to be the best in the world.
It resonated with me because, yesterday, I had already spoken to two Specialist Contractors who were also so “blind” that they “refused to see” the real problem, and much like England they were failing too, because they were not getting paid as a result!
How This Equates To Your Business
The equivalent for your business is that if you are “blind because you will not see”, then the potential consequences for your business can be catastrophic.
How does this “blindness” manifest itself?
In all sorts of different ways, but it usually comes about as a result of one of the following;
- failing to think far enough ahead, not doing any marketing and then slashing prices just to get a job
- failing to check out who you will actually be working for, or working for someone you have never worked for before
- not checking to ensure that what you priced to do is what you have contracted to do
- not understanding the risks inherent in the contract especially onerous terms and payment provisions
- not taking appropriate and timely action when problems arise
- failing to understand how to resolve disputes when they arise and who best to talk to
- appointing the wrong kind of people to “resolve” the problem and thereby making the problem worse
Problems with construction contracts – What’s The Answer?
As far as the England cricket team goes, I don’t have a clue! But as far as your business goes we do have the majority of the answers based on a lifetime in construction, including 28 years professional experience resolving disputes from the minor to the most complex and across every construction trade, on projects from apartments to nuclear processing plants.
And in the process we have recovered literally £millions of pounds for our members.
Our team can help you sort out all sorts of difficulties and settle disputes, especially if you’re not sure which route to take or feel you’re being denied what you’re rightfully owed.
What we can do to avoid problems with construction contracts
Construction disputes of all shapes and sizes are not uncommon due to the complexity of construction – but there are plenty of different ways to settle the matter. Our specialist Construction Contracts Consultants are able to give expert advice and maximise your recovery in the following areas:
INTERIM PAYMENTS
During most projects, interim payments are made throughout the construction period before final accounts are decided. If you feel your payment has been unjustly delayed, is too small, or need help constructing or serving notices, we can help you to resolve it before it escalates into an unmanageable amount.
RETENTION RECOVERY
Recovering retention money after a job is complete can sometimes be difficult, and Contractors love to make excuses to delay repayment or to avoid paying altogether. StreetwiseSubbie has helped countless Subcontractors get back the retention which is rightfully yours.
And we can do that on No Win No Fee basis too!
FINAL ACCOUNT DISPUTES
Specialist Contractors final accounts are often attacked by Contractors even after things have been agreed during the job, and especially on large projects that have taken a long time to complete. Things can get very complicated, but we can help you ascertain what you should receive from a final account and help you resolve any reasons for non-payment.
DEFECTS AND DESIGN
If you are involved in a dispute over defects, or design our specialists are on hand to ensure you are not getting the blame for something that isn’t your fault. Contact us for specialist construction advice and ensure your rights are protected.
ADJUDICATION
Our Construction Contracts Consultants have assisted Specialist Contractors in literally hundreds of adjudication cases. We can help you achieve the best result from the adjudication process, or even avoid adjudication altogether. If you have been served a Notice of Adjudication, or would like to issue one yourself, it is crucial that you take the right advice as soon as possible, so please call our construction law specialist team for a free no obligation chat.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Sometimes adjudication is not your best option. Our construction team can advise which method of construction dispute resolution is right for you, whether that be arbitration, mediation, litigation or indeed adjudication. Contact us today for advice on which course of action best fits your case.
MARKETING HELP AND SUPPORT
From helping you think about and plan your strategy to actually doing it all for you, we can help ensure you get a steady flow of good quality enquiries.
AVOID PROBLEMS WITH CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS
Our objective is simple. We want to improve the lives of Specialist Contractors by helping you avoid problems with construction contracts. And we do that by bringing you cost effective resources to help make your life easier and your business more profitable.
By working with our Service Delivery Partners across the country, we bring you professional support in all the important areas of your business.
And, because we only work with Specialist Contractors you can be sure that we know the kind of problems you face, and the solutions that work best, which saves a lot of time, and a lot of money.
So please feel free to give us a call on 01773 712116 or email us on info@streetwisesubbie.com.
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