Contract killers: Construction disputes spell disaster for projects

Partner and co-chair of Herrick's Litigation Department, Bill Fried, was quoted in The Real Deal in an article discussing construction disputes. 

Bill notes that replacing a construction contractor can wreak havoc with timelines. "You are going to set your project back three to six months, minimum," he said, adding, "And that's a huge problem."

The Real Deal also stated that changes in the scope of work are the most common cause of project disputes. Bill flagged low bids as a sign that a contractor will tack on surprise costs later, elaborating, "I tell my clients, if you get three bids, and one of them is substantially lower, you should be concerned[.]" He noted, "They are underbidding the job, and then try to make it up during change orders."

Read the full article in The Real Deal here. Access may require a subscription.