How To Handle Disputes With Your Builder

Building projects can be expensive, complicated and time critical. They are also vulnerable to being affected by factors outside the parties' control. It is therefore common for disputes to arise on construction projects. This guide has been written to assist you when handling a dispute with your builder.

Common disputes during construction projects:

• minor inconveniences, which will have no lasting effect on the project or the parties;
• seriously damaging, which may have lasting consequences for the project and/or the parties; and
• potentially ruinous, which may jeopardise the future of the project, and the financial security of the parties.

There is a commercial decision for the parties about how they treat any disputes that arise on their projects. However, before doing so it is important that they assess the importance of a dispute, understand your leverage in the dispute and make decisions that fit with your objectives.