A guide to resolving construction project disputes
- timrhamlett
- Aug 6
- 3 min read
According to figures from the latest report from King’s College London’s Centre of Construction Law and Dispute Resolution and as reported by Stephensons Solicitors, the number of construction project disputes in the UK is progressively increasing.
The report shows a steady increase in disputes being submitted to an adjudicator for resolution since statutory adjustments were introduced in 1998. Most notably, referrals reached the highest figure on record at 2,264 between May 2023 and April 2024.
With no end in sight for the increase in construction project disputes, ensuring you’re up to date with the latest dispute resolution processes can be crucial to saving your business invaluable time and money.
Step-by-step guide to resolving construction project disputes
Professional support: The first step to resolving your dispute is to talk to a construction industry resolution expert about the nature of the dispute, the progress of the project, and any claims that have been made.
Contractual document review: All relevant contractual documents should then be reviewed, including contracts, project schedules, and party correspondence, to help identify where issues may have arisen.
Claims assessment: By taking into account the impact of costs and delays on the project, a professional dispute resolution team, like Kingsmead Consultants, can help you to assess the validity of any claims.
Negotiation: If the claim is determined to be valid, informal negotiation with the other party is often the first step to finding a resolution.
Mediation: In some cases, if negotiation between the parties isn’t productive, a neutral third party may be introduced to facilitate a mutually agreeable solution.
Legal action: Whether adjudication, arbitration, or litigation is considered the most appropriate course of action, disputes that can’t be resolved with negotiation or mediation typically progress to some form of legal proceedings.
What is the best way to resolve construction disputes?
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods are typically considered the ‘best’ way to resolve disputes in the construction industry as they avoid potentially costly and time-consuming legal proceedings.
Such ADR methods include mediation, negotiation, adjudication, expert determination, and arbitration. Unsure which avenue is the most appropriate course of action for your construction dispute? Talk to the RICS-regulated team of chartered surveyors today.
While ADR methods are often preferrable to legal proceedings, at Kingsmead Consultants, we believe prevention is the best solution to tackling construction industry disputes.
Liaising with all relevant parties, our preventative measures include focusing on detailed contract management, risk identification and mitigation, and clear communication and documentation.
However, in the event that a dispute does arise, we’ll work with you to identify the most appropriate and cost-effective dispute resolution method.
Speak to Kingsmead Consultants for expert dispute resolution
Keen to make a claim for the costly consequences of construction project delays or contract variations? Speak to the team of RICS-regulated chartered quantity surveyors at Kingsmead Consultants today.
Offering fair and efficient dispute resolution for the construction industry, we can assess the validity of your claims, help you to prepare clear documentation for adjudication, and liaise with all parties to identify the most effective path to resolving the issue.
Regardless of whether you’re the project owner, contractor, supplier, or architect, you can trust our team of Liverpool quantity surveyors to support you throughout the entire dispute resolution process.
To book your initial consultation, please complete a contact form using the button below:
Alternatively, you can always:
Call: 01270 323 515
Comments