San Antonio Construction Dispute Lawyers

Find the right Construction Dispute attorney in San Antonio, TX

Construction Dispute Law in Texas

Landowners and contractors in San Antonio, Texas frequently contract with each other for major construction projects. With any large construction projects, some small delays or problems are all but inevitable, but they don't usually derail the project or lead to major disputes between the parties.

In the overwhelming majority of instances, however, these problems are resolvable, and do not lead to major disputes. Being rational, business-minded adults, landowners and construction contractors are typically able to resolve disputes amongst themselves. After all, both stand to gain if the project is completed, and the contractor is paid.

Even if a third party gets involved, it does not always need to be a court. Private mediators can help the parties reach a settlement, or a private arbitrator who is an expert on construction litigation can render a binding decision, if mediation and negotiation fail and the parties can't resolve their dispute.

Litigating a construction dispute in San Antonio, Texas is definitely not something that anybody likes doing. However, it is sometimes necessary, as a last resort.

Examples of Construction Disputes That Might Lead to Litigation in San Antonio, Texas

Delays: Some minor delays in a construction project are all but guaranteed to occur. Typically, if contracts require a specific completion date, the contractor will give itself longer than the project would take under ideal circumstances, to account for possible delays. Moreover, construction contracts usually attempt to insure against delays, such as imposing fees on contractors if the project is delayed beyond a certain point. If no such clause is included in a contract, a court will usually award the client damages that could have been reasonably anticipated at the time the contract was entered into.

Owner's Refusal to Pay: If the contractor completes the project, and the owner refuses to pay the agreed-upon price, the contractor will typically file a lawsuit to recover what is owed. Of course, the owner will typically claim that there is a good reason for not paying, arguing that the contractor didn't conform to the project's specifications, or that the quality of construction was unacceptably poor. In such a case, the court will have to determine if the contractor actually breached the contract by doing shoddy work, which could, at least in part, excuse the owner's duty to pay.

Subcontractor Disputes: In large projects, contractors often can't handle every aspect of the construction, so they hire other (typically smaller) contractors to do some specialized work for them, such as plumbing, electrical installations, and the like. The general contractor, however, is responsible to the owner for anything that goes wrong. If a subcontractor messes up, and the owner sues the contractor, the contractor will have to pay. However, the contractor can then go after the subcontractor to recover whatever he had to pay.

Mechanic's Liens: A mechanic's lien is a way for a contractor to secure payment if a landowner refuses to pay. In such cases, if the contractor sues and wins, he or she can sometimes impose a mechanic's lien on the property he or she just worked on. This permits the contractor to force a sale of the property to cover the judgment. It is usually used when other attempts to secure payment fail.

Can a San Antonio, Texas Attorney Help?

If you have a construction dispute, you should first try to resolve it amicably with the other party. If this fails, it is almost always necessary to hire a San Antonio, Texas construction disputes attorney, who can advise you on the next steps in the process.

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Life in San Antonio

San Antonio, Texas is a fun-filled with place something for everyone! For families, popular attractions include the River Walk for great dining, Sea World San Antonio, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, the San Antonio Zoo, and Calaveras Lake.

San Antonio also has some historical-oriented attractions such as Tower of the Americas, Buckhorn Saloon and Museum, Alamo, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, and San Fernando Cathedral. Other popular attractions are the McNay Art Museum, Swig Martini Bar, and Ripey's Believe It or Not/Plaza Theatre of Wax.

San Antonio is also home to many law firms that practice in all areas of law. Therefore, whether a case be major or minor, no legal inquiry will be unattended in San Antonio, Texas.

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