About Construction Law
In construction, knowing the law is only part of the challenge. It’s also important to see things from a commercial perspective and understand the connection between the agreements you’re advising on and what happens on the ground – knowing when to push a point or let it go and enabling you to give your clients advice that they can work with. From design to build and beyond.
Issues in construction contracts
Applying statutory requirements when drafting and negotiating construction contracts throws up common problems and disputes. We cover HGCRA 1996 requirements plus other issues lke retention, set off, and escrow.
Construction disputes
In-depth guidance and precedent documents for enforcing and challenging the adjudicator’s decision. From correcting errors under the slip rule, to grounds for a jurisdictional challenge, this is the place to go.
Standard form construction contracts
We publish JCT 2016 contracts and FIDIC contracts, and have related schedules of amendments for key forms. See other schedules of amendments, practice notes, and checklists for forms including NEC, MF/1, ICC.
Commercial perspective
Understand the connection between the agreements you’re advising on and what happens on the ground. Know when to push a point or let it go, and give your clients advice they can work with from design to build and beyond.
Topics We Cover
Latest Construction News
This week's edition of Construction weekly highlights includes: a consultation by the Welsh Government on proposed regulations under the Building...
The Welsh Government has updated its Operational Standards Rules (OSR) Monitoring Arrangements (Wales) guidance. The September 2026 amendments add...
The Welsh Government has updated the Professional Conduct Rules for Registered Building Control Approvers (Wales). The update amends rule 4.5 to...
The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has published a report on the first statutory continuing professional development (CPD) cycle, introduced in...
The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on proposed regulations under the Building Safety (Wales) Act 2026 concerning determinations of the...
Latest Construction Practice Notes
This Practice Note provides an overview of retained EU law as it applied from 2021–23, including the key definitions and concepts with reference to...
The UK’s formal withdrawal from the EU took effect at 11 pm on 31 January 2020 (exit day). At this point, the withdrawal period under Article 50 TEU...
The Infrastructure Conditions of Contract (ICC) were formerly known as the ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers) conditions of contract, first...
Overview of the NEC Professional Service Short ContractThe NEC Professional Service/Services Short Contract, or PSSC, is part of the NEC3 and NEC4...
The nature of construction projects, construction contracts and the law surrounding them, means that claims are commonly made by one or more parties....
Latest Construction Precedents
Letter for sub-contractor to send to employer in the event of main contractor insolvency[[Sub-contractor’s headed notepaper] OR [Sub-contractor’s...
Note:•this Practice Note gives specific guidance on matters proceeding in the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) under the provisions set out in...
Note:•this Practice Note gives specific guidance on matters proceeding in the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) under the provisions set out in...
Claim No. [insert claim number].[IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE[BUSINESS AND PROPERTY DIVISION [ OR BUSINESS AND PROPERTY DIVISION IN [insert location]...
Note:•this Practice Note gives specific guidance on matters proceeding in the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) under the provisions set out in...
Latest Construction Q&As
Featured Construction content
What are preliminaries in a construction contract?
What is a variation on a construction project?
What is a variation on a construction project?A variation (sometimes referred to as a change) is an alteration to the scope of work originally...
Time of the essence—construction contracts
Time of the essence—construction contractsWhat does time of the essence mean?Where time is 'of the essence' it means that the stated time for...
Product liability insurance for the construction industry
Product liability insurance for the construction industryThis Practice Note looks at product liability insurance from the perspective of those engaged...
What is the difference between termination, determination and a voided contract?
Escrow accounts and escrow agreements
Escrow accounts and escrow agreementsThis Practice Note examines why parties involved in a construction project may enter into an escrow agreement (or...
Scott Schedules in construction disputes
Scott Schedules in construction disputesScott Schedules are often very useful in construction disputes. They help to identify the key issues between...
Differences between adjudication and other forms of dispute resolution
Differences between adjudication and other forms of dispute resolutionThis Practice Note identifies some of the key differences between adjudication...
Concession contracts—materials and resources
Concession contracts—materials and resourcesA concession is a form of public private partnership (PPP). It is a long term contractual arrangement...
Professional indemnity insurance in construction projects
Professional indemnity insurance in construction projectsThis Practice Note looks at professional indemnity (PI) insurance in the context of...
What is the difference between joint insured, co-insured and composite insured?
Target cost contracts on construction projects
Target cost contracts on construction projectsWhat is a target cost contract?A target cost contract is a type of cost reimbursable contract under...
Defects liability period and rectification of defects
Defects liability period and rectification of defectsIt is common in construction projects for defects to manifest or appear in the works. Most...
Retention of payment in construction contracts
Retention of payment in construction contractsThe concept of a retention from interim payments is commonplace in commercial construction contracts,...
What is practical completion?
What is practical completion?Practical completion marks the end of the construction period of a project, when the works are 'finished' and the...
Quantum in construction claims
Quantum in construction claimsThis Practice Note looks at some of the key considerations that may need to be taken into account when a party to a...
Time at large in construction contracts
Time at large in construction contractsThis Practice Note examines the concept of ‘time at large’ in relation to the completion of works under a...
Sub-contractors' insurance
Sub-contractors' insuranceThis Practice Note looks at how sub-contractors’ liability is typically covered by insurance and considers:•difficulties...
Associated legal terms
Executive negotiation
The process where, if parties are in dispute, the nominated executives of each party meet in an endeavour to resolve the dispute.
Net contribution clause
A clause, generally in a collateral warranty or appointment, which limits the liability of a party to that part of the loss for which that party is specifically responsible. In the absence of these clauses, a party can be liable for 100% of any loss even if others contributed to the same loss.
Partial possession
This is where the employer takes possession of part(s) of the works before practical completion of the whole project, for example to rent a completed floor to a tenant while works continue on other floors. In such a case, practical completion is deemed to have occurred for that part.
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