A recent case brought to my attention by Melissa Brumback (@melissabrumback) of the Construction Law in North Carolina Blog reminded me of the necessity to both include change order provisions in your construction contracts and to follow them. In the case of Artistic Stone v. Safeco in the Norfolk, VA Federal Court (linked from and […]
Subcontractors Must be Careful Providing Bonds when General Contractor Does Not
After I wrote the title to this post, I thought, “Well, that says it all, doesn’t it?” I also considered the fact that for those that read this construction law blog on a regular basis, I am likely stating the obvious. I then thought about the fact that there can be confusion regarding the purpose […]
How is Negotiating a Construction Contract Like Buying a Car?
I know, you’re probably looking for a punchline, and likely thinking something along the lines of “only a construction attorney would be sitting in his office and come up with such an analogy,” but I really do think it’s a good one. When you are buying a car, you look for priorities. Is the color […]
Don’t Kick the Claim Until the End of the Project: Timely Give Notice and Preserve Your Claims on Construction Projects
For this week’s Guest Post Friday, we welcome Tara L. Chadbourn. Tara is an attorney with Reaves Govcon Group in Chesapeake, VA, where she concentrates her practice on construction law, litigation and commercial litigation. Tara counsels owners, contractors, subcontractors and materials suppliers in various government and commercial construction matters. Tara can be reached at [email protected]. […]
Contractors in Virginia Need To Be Ready for July 1, 2011
The Virginia General Assembly has passed a couple of bills, effective July 1, 2011, that will affect contractors’ and other construction professionals’ rights to payment and where they can and should bring their construction related claims. The first set of changes are to Virginia’s “Little Miller Act” of which I have spoken on many occasions […]