Building Contracts

Our construction solicitors can provide expert legal advice on all aspects of building contracts and have extensive experience of working with all of the standard forms commonly used in the industry including the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT), New Engineering Contracts (NEC), International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), Public Procurement Contract (PPC 2000), RIBA contracts, National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC), Infrastructure Conditions of Contract (ICC) as well as bespoke building contracts.

Our construction team have in depth knowledge of all of the main procurements methods in use throughout the construction industry including traditional and design and build but also management contracting and construction management and can advise on how these could be used to ensure the success of a project.

Our approach is to work with your team to advise on the appropriate form of contract, assist in the tender process, draft schedules of amendments, advise upon and negotiate the terms of the building contract as required and assist in the preparing and engrossing it. 

We regularly advise on the risk profiles of various contracts and can work with you to review and draft building contracts to suit your requirements and to achieve your aims, whether your priorities are in relation to quality, price or programme.  We believe that it is better to consider the risks at the outset and place the responsibility for them with the person most able to manage it having regard to your priorities.

We also have extensive experience of both single and two stage tendering processes and can advise on pre-construction agreements, demolition and infrastructure contracts placed in advance of the main works as well as letters of intent, collateral warranties, third party rights, security documentation and if necessary novation agreements in relation to the design team.

Our construction lawyers regularly advise on the administration processes contained in building contracts to ensure that projects are delivered successfully without wasting time on expensive disputes.  Our approach is to use the contract as a project management tool throughout the project in order to resolve issues as they arise rather than saving them up until completion.

We can provide a full contract review service for contractors who are tendering for new projects and advise on the risks arising and the current market position to ensure that you are not taking on greater responsibilities and liabilities than are necessary but also bearing in mind the commercial realities of tender processes.