ARTICLE · 03 NOVEMBER 2026
When Must The Contractor Complete The Works If No Completion Date Has Been Agreed?
Construction contracts often lack specific completion dates, leaving clients wondering if contractors can take unlimited time. Dutch courts have established that even without agreed deadlines, contractors must complete work within a reasonable timeframe and with sufficient diligence, providing clients with legal recourse when projects drag on unreasonably.
NetherlandsReal Estate and Construction
As a construction law solicitor, I regularly find that disputes arise over how long a construction project may take. For example, the building contract may not specify an end date or the number of working days. Does this mean the contractor can simply take as long as they like? The absence of a specific date does not mean the contractor has free rein. In this article, I explain the legal position when the parties have not agreed on a completion date and what you can do if the work is taking an unreasonably long time.
What if no completion date has been agreed?
Many building contracts, particularly for smaller projects carried out for consumers, do not contain a fixed completion date. Contractors may include an indicative schedule or provide no time estimate at all. Both clients and contractors then often assume that the project is not subject to any time constraints whatsoever. This is a misconception. Courts regularly rule on this aspect of building contracts.
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