FLORIDA CONSTRUCTION LAW
Protecting Your Project.
Experienced Legal Guidance From Contract Through Completion.
Construction projects involve complex contracts, significant financial commitments, and relationships that can quickly become difficult when problems arise. DuFault Law represents contractors, subcontractors, developers, property owners, and homeowners throughout Florida, providing practical legal guidance designed to protect their interests, resolve disputes, and keep projects moving forward.
FLORIDA CONSTRUCTION LAW SERVICES
Protecting Your Interests at Every Stage.
From contract negotiation and project planning to payment disputes, construction liens, delays, and litigation, DuFault Law provides experienced Florida construction law representation for contractors, subcontractors, developers, property owners, and homeowners. Our team helps clients protect their contractual and financial interests, address problems before they escalate, and resolve construction disputes when they arise.
Construction Contracts
Contractor Representation
Subcontractor Representation
Construction Payment Disputes
Construction Liens
Homeowner Representation
Developer Representation
Change Orders & Scope of Work Disputes
Construction Delays & Disruption Claims
Construction Litigation
THE DUFAULT LAW DIFFERENCE
When the Project Gets Complicated, We Get to Work.
With more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry, our team understands construction from more than a legal perspective. We understand how projects operate, how problems develop, and how disputes can affect schedules, payments, relationships, and the project itself. DuFault Law provides practical, strategic counsel focused on protecting your position and finding the most effective path forward. From contract questions and payment disputes to construction liens, delays, and litigation, we help clients understand their options and take decisive action when it matters.
What Sets DuFault Law Apart
UNDERSTANDING FLORIDA CONSTRUCTION LAW
Managing Risk from Contract to Completion.
Construction projects involve complex contracts, financial obligations, demanding schedules, and multiple parties with competing interests. Understanding your rights and responsibilities under Florida construction law can help prevent costly disputes, protect payments, and keep projects moving forward. From contract negotiations to litigation, informed legal decisions are essential to protecting your investment and minimizing risk.
Construction Contracts & Project Responsibilities
Construction contracts define the rights, responsibilities, and expectations of everyone involved in a project. Clear agreements addressing scope, payment, schedules, and performance help minimize risk, prevent misunderstandings, and protect your interests throughout construction.
Payment Rights & Construction Liens
Payment disputes can threaten a project’s financial stability. Understanding Florida’s construction lien laws, payment requirements, and enforcement procedures helps contractors, subcontractors, and property owners protect their financial interests and address unpaid claims.
Change Orders, Delays & Project Disputes
Changes in project scope, unexpected conditions, and construction delays can lead to increased costs and disagreements. Understanding contractual obligations, documentation requirements, and available remedies helps protect your interests when projects encounter challenges.
Resolving Construction Disputes
When construction conflicts arise, early evaluation and strategic legal guidance can make a significant difference. Whether through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or litigation, understanding your options helps protect your rights and pursue effective resolutions.
CONSTRUCTION LAW INSIGHTS
The Law Behind the Build.
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Don’t Let a Construction Problem Derail Your Project.
Whether you are facing a contract issue, payment dispute, lien, delay, or another construction challenge, the sooner you understand your options, the better. Contact DuFault Law to put experienced Florida construction counsel to work for you.
FAQ | FLORIDA CONSTRUCTION LAW
Construction Questions. Clear Answers.
Florida construction projects can raise complex questions about contracts, payment, liens, change orders, delays, and disputes. Understanding your rights and obligations can help you address problems early, protect your financial interests, and make informed decisions as a project moves forward. Here are answers to some of the questions we hear most often about Florida construction law.
Construction Contracts & Project Disputes
A construction contract should clearly define the scope of work, contract price and payment terms, project schedule, responsibilities of the parties, procedures for changes to the work, and how disputes will be handled. Depending on the project and parties involved, Florida law may also require specific notices or provisions. A carefully drafted contract can reduce uncertainty and provide a clearer framework for addressing problems that arise during construction.
The available remedies depend on the contract, the nature of the breach, and the circumstances of the project. A dispute may involve unpaid amounts, incomplete or additional work, delays, termination, damages, or other contractual remedies. The contract should be reviewed carefully because notice requirements, cure periods, dispute procedures, and limitations on remedies can significantly affect each party’s rights.
Changes to the scope, price, materials, or schedule should be documented as clearly as possible. Construction contracts often establish specific procedures for approving change orders and additional work. Disputes frequently arise when work is performed without a properly documented change or when the parties disagree about whether the work was included in the original scope.
Preserve the contract, plans, specifications, change orders, invoices, payment records, schedules, photographs, text messages, emails, and other project documentation. Before terminating a contract, withholding payment, stopping work, or taking another significant action, review the contract and applicable legal requirements. Construction disputes often involve notice requirements and deadlines that can affect your rights.
Don’t See Your Question Here?
Construction disputes can involve different contracts, parties, deadlines, and legal requirements. Contact DuFault Law to discuss your project and learn how our team may be able to help.
Payment & Florida Construction Liens
A construction lien can provide certain contractors, subcontractors, laborers, material suppliers, and other qualifying parties with a legal claim against real property for unpaid labor, services, or materials furnished to improve the property. Florida’s Construction Lien Law contains detailed requirements governing who may claim a lien and the notices, deadlines, and procedures necessary to preserve lien rights.
Florida construction lien rights are subject to strict statutory deadlines. The applicable deadline can depend on the claimant’s role and when the claimant last furnished qualifying labor, services, or materials to the project. Other notices may be required much earlier. Because missing a required deadline can affect lien rights, the timeline should be evaluated promptly rather than waiting until the payment dispute becomes serious.
A Notice to Owner is a statutory notice used by certain parties who do not have a direct contract with the property owner to preserve potential construction lien rights. Florida law establishes requirements concerning who must serve the notice, when it must be served, and what it must contain. Serving a Notice to Owner does not mean that a lien has been filed against the property.
Yes. A property owner may dispute whether a lien is valid, whether the claimant complied with Florida’s statutory requirements, whether the amount claimed is proper, or whether the claimant has lien rights at all. Florida law also provides procedures that may shorten the time available for a lien claimant to bring an enforcement action. Because lien disputes can involve strict procedures and deadlines, both owners and lien claimants should address them promptly.
Don’t See Your Question Here?
Construction disputes can involve different contracts, parties, deadlines, and legal requirements. Contact DuFault Law to discuss your project and learn how our team may be able to help.
Delays, Claims & Construction Litigation
Responsibility for a delay depends on what caused it, the construction contract, and the facts surrounding the project. Delays may result from an owner, contractor, subcontractor, design professional, material availability, permitting issues, weather, changes in the work, or other circumstances. The contract may also contain provisions governing extensions of time, notice of delays, liquidated damages, and compensation for additional costs.
Potentially, but stopping work without first understanding the contract and applicable law can create additional legal problems. The right to suspend or terminate work may depend on payment provisions, notice and cure requirements, the nature of the nonpayment, and other contractual obligations. Contractors and subcontractors should evaluate these requirements before leaving a project or terminating performance.
Yes. Many construction disputes are resolved through direct negotiation, mediation, or arbitration rather than traditional litigation. The construction contract may require a particular dispute-resolution process. The appropriate approach depends on the contract, the amount at issue, the parties’ positions, the urgency of the problem, and whether a practical business resolution remains possible.
Legal guidance can be particularly valuable when a significant payment is being withheld, a lien or Notice to Owner has been received, a party threatens to terminate the contract or stop work, a substantial delay develops, a change order is disputed, or litigation appears likely. Addressing the issue early can provide more options than waiting until work has stopped or the parties’ positions have become entrenched.
Don’t See Your Question Here?
Construction disputes can involve different contracts, parties, deadlines, and legal requirements. Contact DuFault Law to discuss your project and learn how our team may be able to help.