We provide advice on all building contracts and on building contract disputes including payment claims, disputes over variations and Construction Contract Acts claims.

We act for builders, developers, sub-contractors, engineers and architects as well as owners of residential and commercial property on all building contract and payment disputes.  We advise on all Building and Construction contracts including Australian Standards and HIA contracts.

We advise clients before they sign building contracts on important terms, help clients if they have problems with their builders and can also assist with negotiations of contracts.  Read here for more information on the works we so with Building and Construction Law.

We also handle disputes over building contract price increases for residential and commercial matters.

Lump Sum Home Building Contracts – Can the price be increased?

Since the introduction of the Federal HomeBuilder and WA Building Bonus grants, there have been issues relating to delays in the construction process and claimed increases in builders’ costs, which we have seen builders look to pass on to owners under their building contracts.

Whilst the widely used Lump Sum Building Contract specifies a price for home construction, there are clauses that allow builders to increase the so-called ‘lump sum’ price in specific circumstances.

Owners are often unaware of these price increase clauses, their rights, and the process to dispute a price increase notice from the builder. If owners want legal advice on disputing a price increase notice they should seek that advice urgently, as there are strict time limits for the dispute process.  Read more at Lump Sum Home Building Contracts.

We provide top tier services and top tier experience at substantially better rates than those of our competitors and we provide fixed fee costs wherever possible for all of our matters.

Our rates and fixed prices for commercial work and for building and construction matters are therefore lower than the prices charged by many Perth Commercial Law Firms.

Further information can be found here regarding our fixed fees.

For 25 years we have provided the best advice on all building contracts and sub-contracts and on building contract and sub-contracts disputes including payment claims, disputes over variations, Construction Contract Act claims, disputes over delays in building works and claims over defective works and appearances in the Supreme Court, District Court, Magistrates Court and the State Administrative Tribunal.

Our clients include builders and their customers, developers, sub-contractors and owners of both residential and commercial property needing advice and representation on all building contract and payment disputes.

Ahern Sierakowski Lawyers are experienced at providing legal advice and services in relation to all building contract disputes, including:

  • claims by builders failing to complete projects:
    • a. within budget without valid justifications provide for by the contract; or
    • b. within the time period allocated by the contract subject to valid extensions of time provided for by the contract
  • claims by builders requiring progress payments or refusing to provide access to the site without having reached the corresponding milestone;
  • claims of disputes as to the quality of workmanship and the party who should be liable for such defects;
  • claims for damages as a result of breaches of a building contract.

For more information on our success in handling construction cases see Building and Construction.