Dealing with Builder Disputes

Homeowners who lose money in builder disputes don't usually lose it because the builder was terrible. They lose it because they chose the wrong resolution mechanism, acted too late, or had no evidence to back up their claim. A site diary full of dated photos beats a verbal complaint every time. A mediation that costs £500 beats a court case that costs £5,000. And knowing that you have six years to bring a claim is useless if your evidence has gone cold after two.

This guide covers the formal dispute resolution process: what the law actually gives you, how each resolution step works, what it costs, and when to escalate. It picks up where managing your builder relationship leaves off. That guide covers communication, warning signs, and the escalation framework for managing problems before they become disputes. This one is for when the relationship has broken down and you need to recover money, get defective work fixed, or both.