Change Orders Often Spark Conflict, But They Don’t Have ToChange Orders Often Spark Conflict, But They Don’t Have To
While disputes between contractors and other teams are growing, planning and communication can mitigate the friction, legal experts say.
December 4, 2023

The construction industry scores the dubious distinction of having among the
most and costliest lawsuits. Scope changes are consistently a top cause of these disputes, according to London-based HKA Global, a consultancy that specializes in construction risk mitigation and dispute resolution.
These conflicts sap contractors’ time and money. Disputed sums on projects in the Americas reached more than a third of their value, averaging $100 million or 33.6% of capital expenditure, HKA’s newly released Crux insight report found. Nevertheless, this situation is not inevitable — there are many steps contractors can take to avoid claims.
Construction pros can mitigate this risk by understanding and planning for the common causes of project disputes. Change orders are a key pain point to address before shovels hit dirt, legal experts say.
To read the rest of the story from our sister publication, Construction Dive, click here.
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