Construction litigation for poor workmanship or defects

When you hire a Florida contractor to work on your home or business, you probably feel that it is a critical undertaking. You also probably expect the contractor to do exactly what the job requires according to your agreement. What happens if the contractor does not perform in accordance with your agreement? What can you do about it?

In legalese, this is contractor negligence and constitutes a serious breach of contract. However, you do have legal options at your disposal if this happens to you. In our time serving Melbourne residents, we have seen many cases of construction defects or just poor workmanship and we know how it affects both your life and your finances. We want to help you understand what construction defects are and what you can do about them.

First, a defect in construction is not only problematic in and of itself, it can lead to additional issues if uncorrected. For example, if poor workmanship on your home causes water to leak into the structure, it could lead to a toxic mold problem. This problem needs to be corrected as soon as possible and it is the contractor’s responsibility to do so. If all else fails, construction litigation is one way to force the contractor’s hand.

Typically, the law recognizes four main types of construction defects. These are:

• Deficiencies in structural design
• Material deficiencies or the use of substandard materials
• Poor quality workmanship in general
• Subsurface deficiencies or poor foundation work

When any of the above issues occur, we urge you to seek legal counsel right away. This is necessary in case you cannot settle the matter with your contractor and construction litigation becomes a factor. You will find additional information about these topics and others on our website.