Construction Contract Lawyer Austin – Signing a new construction contract is something that can be extremely exciting, as you’ll end up having business coming through the door so that you can get your own labor force back to work. Despite this, it’s important to keep in mind whether or not you have actually read the contract that you’re signing, as well as if you understand it completely.
Here are four useful tips to help with understanding construction contracts.
*First and foremost, perhaps one of the best tips to help understand construction contracts is to take the time to read everything before signing the contract itself. Oftentimes, many of us tend to gloss over words that we believe we may have seen before or that we think we already understand. The problem, however, is that even the slightest change in the middle of a sentence in one page in the middle of a contract can end up resulting in your company taking on such a huge burden that, in reality, it shouldn’t be.
*Another useful tip to help understand construction contracts is to outline how change orders will be handled. When it comes to change orders, these are types of orders that can often come about rather quickly. It’s always important to include language in your contract that requires change orders and/or extra work to be agreed to in writing. If this is included and you have all of the proper forms that are able to be completed, this will ensure that if any questions arise in the future, all parties will have an understanding in writing of all additional or different work that will need to be completed.
*One other useful tip to help understand construction contracts is to fully understand clauses involving arbitration, jurisdiction, and attorneys’ fees. Essentially, this is something that will involve asking yourself various questions such as if the contract requires all parties to arbitrate the dispute rather than filing a lawsuit, if there is language that dictates where the arbitration must take place or the laws of a state that will govern such a dispute, and if there is any language that dictates that the attorneys’ fees of the winning party in a dispute will need to be paid by the other party.
*Another useful tip to help understand construction contracts is to make sure that everything is in writing and is also part of the contract. Keep in mind that legally, you will only be safe if all of the terms that you want are in writing. In many instances, contracts will have a clause which states that the contract itself is the “entire agreement” between all involved parties, which is something that supersedes and replaces any and all previous discussions, agreements, and commitments. This type of clause is designed to protect all involved parties from one another so one party will not be able to claim that there was any other written or oral agreement or promise via another topic to be enforced along with the contract itself.
Reeves Law, PLLC, located in Austin, Texas handles cases in a variety of legal practice areas. The professionals at Reeves Law are committed to providing personalized attention to their clients. The competent team will work to ensure the most favorable outcome possible in every case. Contact Reeves Law for more information on the legal services they provide and for a free consultation tailored to your specific needs.