Construction Law Support Up Until the Last Invoice

We see ourselves as comprehensive advisors in construction law matters.


Advice in Administrative Law Construction Cases

The success of a construction project depends to a large extent on how the property that you envisage is actually cultivated. The development potential is significantly influenced by the planning laws of the state and the zoning in the municipality/city in which the construction project is to be carried out.

We will advise you beforehand regarding the authorised construction class and the permitted extent of development, because both issues will later influence the achievable living- or floor space and thereby the profitability of the project.

These requirements must be taken into consideration when obtaining the required building and planning approvals.

If you are not a project applicant yourself, but an affected party facing a planned construction project in your neighbourhood, it is necessary to put forward your objections at this early stage and in a timely manner in order to safeguard your rights, otherwise it is often no longer possible to avoid the negative impacts of the project.

If the building authority grants you the building inspection order to take action (demolition, renovation, etc), we will examine the legality of the stipulations and either ward them off for you, or assert economically viable alternatives.

 


Construction Contract Law Advice

We will begin advising you before construction contracts have even been signed. Even at this early stage, we will clarify – as your own specialists (architects, planners) will – the potential risks that may arise in association with the project, which could significantly affect its likely costs. We view the drafting and examination of construction contracts as an essential tool in safeguarding your interests in advance of every contentious discussion.

We offer the following services (in the context of management of construction contracts) when it comes to changes in the quantity and scope of services, which lead to supplemental claims, or where reciprocal damages or warranty claims are put forward:

  • Advice concerning the ÖNORM (“Austrian Standards Institute“) duty to warn
  • Correct registration of amendments and the submission of supplementary quotes
  • Proper customer-side response to notice and supplementary quotes
  • Legal analysis of the final invoice in accordance with the contract
  • Leading pre-litigation and settlement discussions

In the event that litigation is inevitable (unavoidable) in a construction project,

  • Determining your strategy in terms of your defence or judicial enforcement of your claims
  • Examining the demonstrability of both sides‘ allegations and the burden of proof.