You never imagined that you would need to consult a construction attorney just to get your roof replaced. When the crew installed the wrong shingles on your roof, however, you knew that you would need to resort to legal action.
After months of waiting for the contractor to complete a job that you had paid 50% up front, you were thrilled when the materials were finally dropped in the driveway. The fact that they were literally dropped, however, should have been your first clue that this was a project that would likely not go as planned.
Your husband was also in disbelief when he came home and saw the cracks that had spread across the driveway during the time he had been at work. The “dropped” materials had not been delivered carefully, and not only were there cracks in the concrete, there were also long metal strips of flashing that were blowing across the yard. After assurances that they would repair the driveway, you hoped that things would get better.
The did not.
When Do I Need a Construction Attorney?
The hail damaged shingles were ripped off the roof while you were at home, but the actual installation occurred while you were out of town for a couple of days. To say that you were shocked when you saw the finished project would be an understatement. When you were still a half a block away you could tell that the crew had put the wrong shingles on the roof. The fact that the subdivision’s home owner’s association only allows two approved kind of shingles made the mistake a dead give away. Quite frankly, you cannot imagine how the accident happened. With the highest roof in the sub division the roofers had a perfect view of every other roof in the area, and none of them had the shingles they were using.
On the first night you and your husband had several headed discussions. He wanted to try to handle the situation himself; you wanted to immediately contact a construction law firm and get advice. In the end, you allowed him to try his approach, but let him know that you would wait for him to give you the go ahead about “When do I need a construction attorney?”
Not all construction problems are as obvious as the wrong shingles on a roof. In many cases, the need for legal advice does not come until months after a project has been completed and problems develop. In the year 2016 the U.S. construction market was worth approximately $1,162 billion. Not surprisingly, not all of these jobs went as planned and required the use of legal counsel. Understanding “When do I Need a Construction Attorney” can help you navigate the challenging situations that can occur. Statistics show that between April of 2006 and January of 2011 the construction industry eliminated more than 40% of its work force. Many of these full time workers have been replaced by temporary crews who are used on an as need basis. Unfortunately, the results are not always accurate, and result in litigation to make sure that things are fixed.