Building Contract Claims

Book excerpt: Many building contract claims are ill-founded, often because the basic principles are misunderstood. This highly regarded book examines the legal basis of claims for additional payment, and what can and cannot be claimed under the main forms of contract. It includes chapters dealing with direct loss and expense, liquidated damages, extension of time, concurrency, acceleration, time at large, common law and contractual claims, global claims, heads of claim and their substantiation. The new fourth edition has been substantially restructured and updated. Nearly 100 additional cases have been added as well as four new contracts : the JCT Construction Management and Major Project contracts, the JCT Standard Form of Domestic Subcontract, and the Engineering and Construction Contract (the NEC Form). The book continues to use the JCT Standard Form (JCT 98) as the basis of the text, with important differences highlighted in the other forms. Seventeen forms are dealt with and they have all been updated since the last edition of this book. This new edition is essential reading for architects, contract administrators, project managers and quantity surveyors. It will also be invaluable to contractors, contracts consultants and construction lawyers. David Chappell BA(Hons Arch), MA(Arch), MA(Law), PhD, RIBA has 45 years' experience in the construction industry, having worked as an architect in public and private sectors, as contracts administrator for a building contractor, as a lecturer in construction law and contract procedures and for the last fifteen years as a construction contract consultant. He is currently the Director of David Chappell Consultancy Limited and frequently acts as an adjudicator. He is Senior Research Fellow and Professor in Architectural Practice and Management Research at the Queen's University, Belfast. He was appointed Visiting Professor in Practice Management and Law at the University of Central England in Birmingham from 1 March 2003. David Chappell is the author of many articles and books for the construction industry. He is one of the RIBA Specialist Advisors and lectures widely. Vincent Powell-Smith LLM, DLitt, FCIArb was a practising arbitrator and formerly Professor of Law at the University of Malaya and the International Islamic University, Malaysia. He was author of many books on construction law. John Sims FRICS, FCIArb, MAE, FRSA is a chartered quantity surveyor now practising as a consultant, arbitrator, adjudicator and mediator in construction disputes. He is author of a number of books on building contracts and arbitration. Also of interest Building Contract Dictionary Third Edition David Chappell, Derek Marshall, Vincent Powell-Smith & Simon Cavender 0 632 03964 7 The JCT Minor Works Form of Contract Third Edition David Chappell 1 4051 1523 8 Parris's Standard Form of Building Contract Third Edition David Chappell 0 632 02195 0 The JCT Major Project Form Neil F. Jones 1 4051 1297 2 Evaluating Contract Claims R. Peter Davison 1 4051 0636 0 Construction Adjudication Second Edition John L. Riches & Christopher Dancaster 1 4051 0635 2 The Arbitration Act 1996 A Commentary Third Edition Bruce Harris, Rowan Planterose & Jonathan Tecks 1 4051 1100 3 In preparation The NEC and JCT Contracts Compared Deborah Brown 1 4051 1823 7 Cover design by Workhaus