Legal advice for high-value residential construction projects

Major renovations and residential construction projects can be complex, time-consuming and expensive. Clear legal advice at an early stage can help protect your position, reduce risk and prevent avoidable disputes.

Led by senior associate Laughlan Steer, our construction solicitors have extensive experience advising high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families and their advisers on substantial construction projects in the UK and overseas. Our work includes advising on major renovations, listed buildings, new-build homes, apartment refurbishments, lateral conversions and high-value interior design projects. 

We provide practical advice from the outset, preparing bespoke contracts and negotiating amendments to standard-form agreements to reflect the requirements of each project. We aim to protect your interests while maintaining constructive working relationships with contractors, consultants and the wider supply chain. 

Where difficulties arise during or after a project, we can also advise on the most effective way to resolve them. Our combined contentious and non-contentious experience enables us to support clients throughout the full lifecycle of a high-value residential construction project.

We can advise on:

Construction contracts and project set-up

• preparing and negotiating bespoke building contracts
• reviewing and amending standard-form building contracts, including JCT contracts
• advising on the most appropriate contractual and procurement arrangements for a project
• preparing contract suites for substantial renovation and redevelopment projects
• advising on changes to project structures, including transitions between management contracting and construction management

Consultants and other project documentation

• preparing and negotiating appointments for architects, surveyors, designers and other consultants
• reviewing collateral warranties, third-party rights and related project documentation
• advising on licences to alter
• negotiating scaffolding licences and other agreements affecting neighbouring properties, including party wall and neighbourly matters
• coordinating contractual arrangements across complex project teams

Advice during a construction project

• helping clients manage contractual risks as a project progresses
• advising on variations, delays, payment issues and defective work
• advising on the termination and replacement of contractors, consultants or designers
• providing practical advice designed to avoid disputes or resolve issues at an early stage

Construction disputes

Where a dispute cannot be resolved informally, we can advise on the most appropriate route to resolution, including mediation, adjudication, arbitration and litigation.

Our experience includes:

• final-account disputes
• defective design and defective workmanship claims
• delay and extension-of-time issues (including loss of expense)
• disputes involving contractors, consultants and interior designers
• termination of appointments and building contracts
• managing the transition to replacement contractors
• negotiating settlements (including via mediation)

Our construction lawyers understand that substantial residential projects require careful legal planning, commercial judgement and discretion.

Senior associate Laughlan Steer has over a decade of experience advising clients on construction matters. His practice includes both contentious and non-contentious work, enabling him to provide joined-up advice from the start of a project through to its completion and, where necessary, the resolution of a dispute.

This continuity gives clients a single point of contact and reduces the need to move between teams as a project develops. Our advice is practical, proportionate and focused on resolving issues without creating unnecessary work or undermining important commercial relationships.

Here are some comments made about us.

We offer fixed priced options for clients depending on their budget and the size, type and complexity of the work involved.

We would be pleased to discuss your requirements free of charge and tailor a costs proposal accordingly.

Alternatively, our charges will sometimes be based on our hourly rates plus administrative charges and disbursements in which case we will provide you with an initial estimate of your likely legal costs and will update this as your requirements or the circumstances of the work change.