Texas Construction Law Blog

While change orders are widely viewed as a mechanism to increase the contract price in a construction contract, sophisticated players understand that change orders can and should be used to manage claims. 

From the owner’s perspective, change orders are often used to finalize compensation and delay days for ...

In construction disputes, owners typically deal with defects within the scope of work of the subcontractor or vendor by pursuing claims directly against the general contractor. The owner, however, may consider pursuing claims directly against a subcontractor or vendor under certain circumstances.

Potential ...

Coordination between the Owner-Architect Agreement and the Owner-Contractor Agreement is crucial for any successful project. In particular, the parties may overlook the provisions related to an Initial Decision Maker (“IDM”). When the fight breaks out, there are usually conflicting claims whether the ...

The construction industry is a cornerstone of Texas’s robust economy, and timely payments are critical for maintaining the health of this sector. To ensure that contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers are paid promptly for their work, Texas has implemented the Texas Prompt Payment Act (“the Act”)

The Owner and Architect of a Project may sometimes strongly disagree on who should or does own the designs, plans, and specifications that the Owner pays the Architect and its consultants to produce. The meaning of “ownership” is a core part of this argument. This article provides a very basic overview of the ...

Perfecting a performance bond claim in Texas requires careful attention to legal requirements and procedural details set forth on the face of the bond and under Texas law. Perfection of a performance bond claim is often intertwined and complicated by owner concerns over project delays that arise any time a ...

This blog post addresses: (1) steps to be taken, (2) issues to be aware of, and (3) recovery prospects when a general contractor files for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, from the owner’s perspective.

1. The Automatic Stay Prohibits Taking Immediate Adverse Action Against the ...

Although generally known as the “Texas Construction Anti-Indemnity Act,” the sweep of Subchapter C of Chapter 151 of the Texas Insurance Code (the “TCAIA”) is much broader than its name would seem to suggest.[1]  Notwithstanding that the TCAIA only applies where there is a “construction contract,” ...

The Texas legislature has passed House Bill 3485 that may limit owner-directed change orders for owner-directed work. The law takes effect September 1, 2023 for contracts entered into on or after September 1, 2023. The upshot of the bill is that private and governmental owners cannot issue owner-directives (or ...

When an arbitration tribunal issues an award, the first thing parties should do is calculate and calendar their deadlines to seek relief in court. This post discusses one such deadline—the one to file a motion to vacate or modify the award. Both the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) and Texas Arbitration Act (TAA ...