Construction Law for UK Businesses

Construction Law for UK Businesses

Construction disputes are some of the most complex and costly legal issues a business can face. Whether you’re a main contractor, subcontractor, developer, or employer, understanding your rights under a construction contract — and how to enforce them — is essential.

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CONTRACTS

Construction Contracts

JCT, NEC, and FIDIC contracts govern the vast majority of UK construction projects. Knowing which one you’re working under — and what it means for payment, delay, variation, and dispute resolution — is the starting point for managing legal risk on any project.

Understanding JCT Contracts
The most widely used construction contracts in the UK — what they cover, the main forms, payment provisions, and what happens when things go wrong.

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NEC vs JCT: Which Contract Is Right for Your Project?
A comparison of the two dominant standard form contracts — risk allocation, payment mechanisms, dispute resolution, and when each is typically used.

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NEC4 Contracts Explained
The fourth edition of the NEC suite — what changed from NEC3, the different contract options, and how the early warning and compensation event mechanisms work.

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DISPUTES

Disputes & Adjudication

Adjudication is the most important dispute resolution mechanism in UK construction. Under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996, any party to a construction contract has the right to refer a dispute to adjudication at any time — and get a decision within 28 days. It is fast, relatively cheap, and very effective.

Construction Adjudication: A Complete Guide
How adjudication works, how to start it, the 28-day timeline, what adjudicators decide, and how decisions are enforced.

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Smash and Grab Adjudications
What they are, why they happen, how to avoid becoming a victim — and how to use a smash and grab adjudication to recover unpaid sums quickly.

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Recovering Disputed Retention in Construction
How retention works under JCT and NEC contracts, when it should be released, and what to do if a contractor or employer is withholding it without justification.

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Facing a construction dispute?

Construction adjudication can recover money in 28 days. If you’re a contractor, subcontractor, or employer with an unpaid sum or disputed claim, speak to a specialist construction lawyer.

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