Tag Archives: subcontractor

Forfeiture Rule in Construction Disputes Under Review by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

By on March 6, 2018

Since the early 1900’s, Massachusetts courts have held that a contractor cannot recover on the contract itself without showing complete and strict performance of all terms or, in the event the contract cannot be completed fully, that the contractor substantially performed and attempted, in good faith, to perform fully. Under this rule, if the court finds that the contractor intentionally departed from the specifications of the contract, the contractor is prohibited from recovering under the contract, forfeiting its right to contract damages. 

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) will hear arguments this week requesting the forfeiture rule in construction cases to be overturned. The appellant in G4S Technology LLC v. Mass. Tech. Park Corp., SJC-12397, appeals a prior summary judgment ruling, wherein the trial court denied the contractor’s claims for approximately $10 million in delay-and-impact damages on the basis of the forfeiture rule. Despite ultimately completing the project, it was determined that the contractor paid some of its subcontractors late and submitted false certifications. Those actions were in breach the contract, and the trial court determined that those actions were sufficient to deny the contractor’s claims.

The SJC will consider whether Massachusetts should adopt an alternative standard that considers whether a breach was an uncured, material breach that alleviates the non-breaching party’s obligation to pay and weigh a breaching party’s lack of good faith or willfulness, among other factors to be considered by the court. This multi-factor analysis is applied currently by Massachusetts courts in other contract disputes, but not in connection with construction disputes.

Should the forfeiture rule be overturned, it would have wide-reaching consequences and create greater flexibility in arguing an entitlement to damages on breach of contract claims. Contractors would be wise to keep track of this case as it proceeds. If you have questions concerning your rights in connection with a construction dispute, consult an experienced Massachusetts construction attorney.

Promise to Pay Doesn’t Change Mechanic’s Lien Deadline

By on February 20, 2018

In a recent decision, D5 Iron Works, Inc. v. Danvers Fish & Game Club, Inc., & Others, the Appeals Court of Massachusetts ruled that an owner’s promise to make payment to the subcontractor did not excuse the subcontractor’s failure to timely file suit.

In the case, the general contractor was delinquent in paying the subcontractor. The subcontractor timely filed a Notice of Contract  as well as a Statement of Account .  Nevertheless, Massachusetts lien law requires that a lawsuit be filed within 90 days of filing the Statement of Account.

According to the Subcontractor, the project owner represented that the subcontractor would be paid. The subcontractor testified that it relied on that representation in not timely filing the lawsuit.

Consistent with its prior decisions, the court ruled that mechanic’s lien statutory deadlines are to be strictly enforced, and denied the subcontractor’s claims.*  This case stands as a fresh reminder that the statutory deadlines for mechanic’s lien filings are enforced strictly, and not generally subject to extension or modification by private agreement.  Contractors and subcontractors should take care to observe deadlines ardently in order to avoid losing their mechanic’s lien rights.

 

*At the time of this article, it remains unclear whether either party will appeal the decision, which went unpublished. 

 

Know Your Rights – Limitations on Retainage for Private Construction Projects

By on November 20, 2017

The Massachusetts Retainage Act limits the amount of retainage allowed for private construction projects, and imposes mandatory processes for reaching the date of substantial completion, submitting punchlists and completing punchlist items, and submitting applications for payment and obtaining payment of retainage.

The Act applies to all construction contracts signed after November 4, 2014, for privately owned projects where the original contract price with the owner is at least three million dollars and the general contractor, subcontractors, or design professionals would have mechanic’s lien rights , but exempts residential housing projects of one to four units.

Limit on Retainage

Under the Act, no more than five percent retainage may be withheld from any progress payment. Among other things, this prohibits frontloading retainage amounts for a portion of the project, with less held at the end.

Substantial Completion

The Act defines substantial completion as the stage in the project when the work required under the general contractor’s contract with the owner is “is sufficiently complete … so that the project owner may occupy or utilize the work for its intended use.” Substantial completion may apply to the entire project or to a phase of the project, but only where the project owner has expressly allowed substantial completion for defined phases.

In order to reach substantial completion, the general contractor must submit a form for notice of substantial completion, as contained in the Act, to the owner within fourteen days of reaching the stage when the general contractor believes the project is substantially complete. Then the owner has fourteen days to accept or reject the general contractor’s notice. Should the owner fail to timely respond to the notice, the owner is deemed accept to general contractor’s work as substantially complete.  If the owner accepts the notice, the date of substantial completion is set and is binding upon all related aspects of the contract. If the owner rejects the notice, it must notify the general contractor in writing of the rejection and include the factual and contractual basis for the rejection and a certification that the rejection is made in good faith. The Act permits an expedited process for the general contractor to dispute the rejection under the contract’s dispute resolution procedures. Alternatively, the general contractor can resubmit a form for notice of substantial completion to the owner for new approval.

Submission of Punchlists and Completion of Punchlist Items

Within fourteen days after acceptance (whether express or deemed accepted) of the notice of substantial completion, or the final and binding resolution of a dispute, the owner must submit a written punchlist “describing all incomplete or defective work items and deliverables” to the general contractor. The owner’s punchlist must be certified as made in good faith.

The general contractor has an additional week after the owner’s deadline expires, or twenty-one total days after acceptance, to submit a punchlist to each subcontractor from whom the general contractor is holding retainage “describing all incomplete or defective work items and deliverables required,” which may include items in addition to the owner’s punchlist. The general contractor’s punchlist to its subcontractors and suppliers must be certified as made in good faith. General contractors, subcontractors and suppliers are permitted to dispute punchlist items directed to them.

Submitting Applications for Payment and Obtaining Payment of Retainage

The general contractor, subcontractors and suppliers from whom retainage is held may submit written applications for payment of retainage no sooner than 60 days following the date of substantial completion.  Each contractor shall use the form required by their contract to apply for payment of retainage. Alternatively, the project owner and general contractor may allow for earlier submission dates. An application for payment of retainage must include the punchlist, along with a written list identifying which items have been completed, repaired or delivered, and a certification that the application is submitted in good faith.

Applications for retainage must be paid within thirty days of receipt, minus any withholdings described below. For each tier of contract below the prime contact with the owner, the time period for paying retainage is extended by seven days.

Should the owner or contractor seek to withhold payment of retainage, they are limited to (1) the value of incomplete, incorrect or missing deliverables as either agreed upon by the parties or, if no agreement is reached, no more than two and a half percent of the total adjusted contract price; (2) one hundred and fifty percent of the reasonable cost to complete or correct incomplete or defective work items; and (3) the reasonable value of claims and any costs, expenses, or attorneys’ fees incurred as a result of the claims (but only when permitted by the terms of the contract).

Retainage, or any portion thereof, cannot be withheld unless the party seeking payment receives, before the date payment is due, a written explanation “of the incomplete or defective work items and incomplete, incorrect or missing deliverables, the factual and contractual basis for the claims and the value attributable to each incomplete or defective work item, deliverable and claim.” The explanation of withholding must also be certified as made in good faith.

Moreover, the Act prohibits the owner from holding any portion of retainage due to subcontractors or suppliers that are not the subject of the owner’s claim against the general contractor, unless the owner has declared the general contractor in default under its contract.

As the foregoing makes plain, the Act requires all parties to a project to adhere to strict guidelines in connection with withholding, and later releasing retainage.  In order to gain a full understanding of how the Act and other statutes govern Massachusetts construction projects, and how to preserve your rights under those statutes, contractors would be wise to consult with a Massachusetts construction attorney regarding their specific contract and situation.

Show Me the Money: When Payment is Due on Massachusetts Public Construction Projects

By on April 5, 2017

Traditionally, general contractors on Massachusetts state-level public construction projects employed one of two types of risk allocation provisions in payment clauses in their subcontracts with subcontractors:  a “pay-if-paid” or a “paid-when-paid” clause.  This changed, however, due to a 2004 Massachusetts court decision that largely did away with condition precedent payment clauses commonly referred to as “pay-if-paid” clauses.  While the differences between the two clauses may not jump off the page, the use of one rather than the other had a significant impact on a subcontractor’s right to collect payment from the general contractor.

“Pay-if-paid” clauses create a condition precedent to payment.  That is, a subcontractor has no right to be paid for completed work until or unless the general contractor received payment from the owner.  “Pay-when-paid” clauses create no such condition precedent to subcontractor payment.  Rather, a “pay-when-paid” clause is a timing provision; that is, the general contractor has a ‘reasonable time’ to obtain payment from the project owner, but in the event the owner does not pay the general contractor within a ‘reasonable time’ the subcontractor retains the right to collect payment from the general contractor for its work.  Ambiguous contract language often complicated the subtle, yet substantial, difference between the two types of clauses, leading to high stakes contract interpretation disputes.

In 2004, Massachusetts did away with the distinction between “pay-if-paid” and “pay-when-paid” clauses on state-level public construction projects.  In,  Framingham Heavy Equip. Co., Inc. v. John T. Callahan & Sons, Inc., 807 N.E.2d 851, 855 (Mass. App. 2004), the court reasoned, that absent express contract language, if “payment to the subcontractor is to be directly contingent upon the receipt by the general contractor of payment from the owner,” then the default interpretation of subcontract payment provisions, “should be viewed ‘only as postponing payment by the general contractor for a reasonable time after requisition … so as to afford the general contractor an opportunity to obtain funds from the owner.’”  This decision virtually eliminated “pay-if-paid” in favor of “paid-when-paid” clauses on Massachusetts state-level construction projects.         

While the holding in Framingham is generally good news for payment-seeking subcontractors, the issue remains, however, as to what a “reasonable time,” is to afford general contractors before general contractors must make payment to subcontractors should the owner not pay.  In Framingham, the court determined that where the payment issues originated in December 1998 and continued through March 1999, that by the end of April 1999, “the general contractor had exceeded any reasonable period of time,” and thus the subcontractor’s claim for payment for completed work could not be defeated even though the owner had yet to pay the general contractor for the subcontractor’s work.

There has been no subsequent case in Massachusetts that further defines the “reasonable time” standard to determine when general contractors must pay subcontractors when the general contractor objects to making payment as a result of a “pay-when-paid” clause.  Thus, subcontractors should be keenly aware of any developments in the law regarding what constitutes “reasonable time” for payment in connection with these provisions.  If you have questions regarding payment issues on state-level public construction projects you should contact a Massachusetts construction lawyer.   

Show Me the Money: Getting Paid on Private Massachusetts Construction Projects

By on March 15, 2017

As a general rule, parties to private contracts are afforded wide latitude to dictate and negotiate the terms as they see fit. While this notion of “freedom of contract” is an entrenched tradition within American law it is not without its limitations.  The Prompt Pay Act, enacted in 2010, is one such limitation that every Massachusetts sub-contractor and contractor should have an acute awareness of.

In effect the Prompt Pay Act requires that standard state provisions be incorporated into otherwise private construction contracts with an original valuation of over three million dollars. The Prompt Pay Act specifically affects the interpretation of payment clauses in such contracts.

As a reminder, “pay-if-paid” clauses create a condition precedent to subcontractor payment. That is, a subcontractor has no right to payment for completed work until the general contractor has received payment from the owner. “Pay-when-paid” clauses create no such condition precedent to subcontractor payment. Rather, the general contractor has a ‘reasonable time’ to obtain payment from the project owner, but in the event the owner does not pay the general contractor within the ‘reasonable time’ the subcontractor still has the right to seek payment from the general contractor. Ambiguous contract language often complicates the subtle, yet substantial, differences between the two types of clauses leading to high stakes contract interpretation disputes.

In 2004, Massachusetts did away with distinction between “pay-if-paid” and “pay-when-paid” clauses on state-level public construction projects.  Framingham Heavy Equip. Co., Inc. v. John T. Callahan & Sons, Inc., 807 N.E.2d 851, 855 (Mass. App. 2004). Thus with regard to Massachusetts state-level public construction projects “pay-if-paid” causes have been effectively eliminated in favor of “paid-when-paid” clauses.”

Federal-level public construction projects, on the other hand, have not completely eliminated the distinction between “pay-if-paid” and “pay-when-paid” contract clauses. On federal-level public construction projects “pay-if-paid” language included in a subcontract could complicate subcontractor recovery in relation to the principal contractor. The limited amount of Federal case law on the issue, however, leads to the inference that Federal Courts disfavor allowing “pay-if-paid” clauses to operate in the federal-level public construction context.

The Prompt Pay Act directs that, on private construction projects valued at over three million dollars, payment clauses be interpreted as “pay-when-paid,” thus effectively eliminating “pay-if-paid” in most instances. Specifically, and with very narrow exception, “[a] provision in a contract for construction which makes payment to a person performing the construction conditioned upon receipt of payment from a third person that is not a party to the contract shall be void and unenforceable.” MGL c. 149 sec. 29E (e).

This statutory language is a clear attempt, in the name of the broad public interest, to provide protections to subcontractors by endeavoring to ensure swift payment for work provided in order to keep construction projects moving and companies afloat by regulating cash flow.

Smith Ironworks, Inc. v. Torrey Co., Inc., Not Reported in N.E.3d (2014), is the only Massachusetts case to discuss the Prompt Pay Act at any length. Even so, it is an arbitration decision as discussed in Smith, and not the Court itself, that provides the limited interpretation of the Act. In Smith, the subcontractor applied for payment from the contractor for work provided on a private project. Disputes as to the actual amount owed existed, however, rather than actively reject the request for payment, the contractor did not respond at all. Pursuant to the terms of the Prompt Pay Act the request for payment was deemed approved after the statutorily prescribed time passed without formal rejection. The parties submitted to voluntary arbitration and an arbitrator found that the contractor was liable to the subcontractor for the amounts submitted, plus interest, as the contractor failed to properly respond to the request for payment as prescribed by the Prompt Pay Act. The contractor was deemed liable even though it had not been paid in full by the owner.

To reiterate, while Smith details an outcome favorable to a subcontractor by application of the Prompt Pay Act, that outcome is not of true precedential value. Questions remain as to the effectiveness of the Prompt Pay Act. Specifically, questions regarding the true parameters and enforceability of payment timelines and the exact remedy for non-compliance. Thus, subcontractors should keep an eye towards the development of the law in this area and strive to understand how the Prompt Pay Act may apply to various projects. If you have any questions about payment issues on public construction projects you should contact a Massachusetts construction lawyer.

Negotiate Your Lien Waiver Terms with Your Contract

By on January 24, 2017

Most construction project owners require general contractors to provide periodic lien waivers from subcontractors and material suppliers to verify they received payment. This is generally a good thing, as it helps ensure payment is flowing down to the proper parties. Lien waivers, however, can become the source of conflict when parties can’t agree on their terms.

Lien waivers frequently become contentious because they are presented for the first time when payment is due. Almost inevitably the lien waiver will contain terms that are inconsistent with or in addition to existing contract terms, and every day spent negotiating the particular language of the lien waivers delays payment already due. Delayed payments have a ripple effect, as contractors rely on prompt payments to keep up with labor and material costs, and to keep the project running on schedule.

Among the most common sticking points is waiver language that is simply too broad. Payment is being made in exchange for labor and materials provided on a project through a particular date. Yet owners often propose lien waivers that try to force contractors to release much more than that. Commonly owners propose clauses that require the payee to promise to indemnify the payor for other liens filed on the project, among others. Of course, the party holding the money maintains some unfair leverage to force the other to sign away rights not contemplated when negotiating the original contract in order to get paid.

To prevent disruptive disputes during the course of construction, prudent parties should review and negotiate the actual lien waiver forms as appendices to contracts, prior to signing anything. This practice is wise for contracts between owners and general contractors as well as between general contractors and subcontractors or material suppliers. It is also always best to have a construction attorney review your contracts and lien waivers to fully understand the rights and responsibilities included in them.

Strang Scott Prevails on Summary Judgment in Case Involving Falsified Payroll Reports on Federal Construction Project

By on October 13, 2016

     In the case of United States for the Use and Benefit of Metric Electric, Inc. v. CCB, Inc. and the Hanover Insurance Company, Civil Action No. 15-11934, in the United States District Court in Massachusetts, the court ruled in favor of Strang Scott’s motion for summary judgment, dismissing all of the plaintiff’s claims.

     The case arose over construction work in the John F. Kennedy Federal Building in Boston. The electrical subcontractor submitted periodic certifications that it paid its employees for work performed on the project. These statements turned out to be false. Six of the subcontractor’s employees brought suit against it for failure to pay wages over several months.

     The general contractor terminated the subcontract shortly thereafter. The electrical subcontractor brought suit against the general contractor and its payment bond surety, claiming an unpaid subcontract balance was due. The claims were brought under the Miller Act, as well as for breach of contract, quantum meruit, and violations of M.G.L. c. 93A (the Massachusetts law governing unfair or deceptive business practices).

     Attorney Christopher Strang argued that intentionally submitting false certified payroll documents constitutes a material breach of contract, justifying termination and also extinguishing any right to further payment. The judge agreed, finding “[i]ts failure to pay its employees in a timely fashion as required by state and federal law (as well as by the terms of the Subcontract), compounded by Sampson’s filing of perjured certifications of payment, bars Metric from entering any chamber of equity.”

     Contractors should use caution when submitting certifications on public, or any, construction projects. Making false statements on these documents can preclude any future recovery of contract payments. Concerned contractors should contact an experienced Massachusetts construction attorney.

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Federal Subcontractors – Understanding the Basics of Your Rights Under the Miller Act.

By on May 31, 2016

By Jennifer Lynn

     Subcontractors commonly inquire as to what they can do to ensure they receive payment on a project. For federally-owned construction projects, subcontractors can look to the Miller Act as a source of security. The Miller Act, codified as 40 U.S.C. §§ 3131-3134, requires general contractors on federal projects to provide performance bonds and payment bonds to the awarding authority where the prime contract exceeds $100,000. The general contractor’s payment bond must list a “satisfactory” surety and cover the total amount of prime contract. 40 U.S.C. § 3131(b)(2).

     The primary purpose behind the Miller Act is to provide security to subcontractors. Because federal projects are immune from lien claims, the Miller Act provides an alternative to a traditional lien, which instead calls for subcontractors to file claims against the general contractor and its surety under the payment bond. See U.S. ex rel. Metric Electric, Inc. v. Enviroserve, Inc., 301 F.Supp.2d 56, 66 (D.Mass. 2003). As with any claim for payment, the subcontractor must establish that it is owed payment in order to establish an enforceable claim under the bond.  In addition to establishing a basic right to payment, subcontractors must meet other specific requirements to secure the benefits of the Act.

Who is Protected Under Miller Act Payment Bonds?

     The Miller Act requires payment bonds to secure the claims of “all persons supplying labor and material in carrying out the work provided for in the contract.” 40 U.S.C. § 3131(b)(2). “All persons,” for purposes of the Miller Act, applies to (1) first-tier subcontractors, which are contractors who directly contract with the general contractor; (2) second-tier subcontractors, those contractors with a subcontract with a first-tier subcontractor; (3) first-tier suppliers, which are suppliers who contract with the general contractor; and (4) second-tier suppliers that have a contract with a first-tier subcontractor but not a first-tier supplier. See U.S. ex rel. Water Works Supply Corp. v. George Hyman Constr. Co., 131 F.3d 28, 31 (1st Cir. 1997).

     Third-tier and more remote subcontractors and suppliers cannot recover under the Miller Act. Subcontractors and suppliers too remote to file a claim under the Miller Act can file ordinary claims for nonpayment for breach of contract or quasi-contract.  The Miller Act does not alter contractors’ rights in connection with claims for nonpayment, but rather provides security for payment to the “persons” covered by the Act.

What Must a Subcontractor Do to Obtain Security Under the Miller Act?

     Much like comparable statutes for state-owned construction projects, subcontractors must wait the requisite time to file a Miller Act bond claim and may need to provide initial notice to the general contractor. All subcontractors must wait 90 days after they last furnished labor or material to the project[1] before they may file a claim under a Miller Act payment bond. 40 U.S.C. § 3113(b)(2). The wait period serves the purpose of setting aside a reasonable amount of time for the subcontractor to receive payment for completed work. Bond claims filed before expiration of the notice period will be considered premature.

     Second-tier contractors must comply with the 90 day wait period and must also provide written notice of its claim to the general contractor. The notice must be in writing; it must be received by the general contractor within the first 90 days after the second-tier subcontractor last furnished labor or material on the project; it must state “with substantial accuracy” the amount claimed unpaid and due and the name of the party to whom the material or labor was supplied or performed (i.e. the first-tier subcontractor); and it must be delivered by a method that provides verification of delivery (i.e. certified or registered mail) or served by a U.S. marshal. 40 U.S.C. § 3133(b)(2).  The required notice must specifically demand payment from the general contractor.  See U.S. ex rel. John D. Ahern Co., Inc. v. J.F. White Contracting Co., 649 F.2d 29, 31-32 (1st Cir. 1981). The notice requirement is strictly construed, and failure to fully comply will bar the subcontractor from raising a recoverable bond claim.

     Subcontractors must file their claim on the bond within 1 year after the day of last furnishing labor or material on the project, 40 U.S.C. § 3133(b)(4), in the federal court in the district in which the project is located. 40 U.S.C. § 3133(b)(3)(B). Failure to file within the 1 year period will result in an absolute bar against the subcontractor’s bond claim. While a claim will be filed “in the name of the United States for the use of the person bringing the action,” 40 U.S.C. § 3133(b)(3)(A), the claim is a private one brought by the subcontractor and the federal government is explicitly exempt from liability to the subcontractor.

     The above summary covers the general parameters for subcontractors to file a bond claim on federally-owned public construction projects. Because each project presents a different set of facts, the process and outcome to recover for nonpayment and filing under the Miller Act will vary. If you are uncertain regarding your company’s ability to recover payment for its work on a federal construction project, or if your company has complied with the regulations or process governing Miller Act claims, you should contact a Massachusetts construction attorney to achieve the best possible outcome.

[1] For more information about “last date of work” and how it is calculated, read Payment Bonds on Federal Construction Projects – Last Date of Work.

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Sub-Subcontractor’s Ambiguous E-mail Insufficient to Satisfy Statutory Notice Requirements for Claim on General Contractor’s Payment Bond

By on March 14, 2016

In an opinion issued this week in N-Tek Construction Services, Inc. v. Hartford Fire Insurance Company, the Massachusetts Appeals Court ruled that a sub-subcontractor’s e-mail to a general contractor on a public construction project failed to clearly present a claim that would satisfy the notice requirements of M.G.L. c. 149, s. 29.

The unpaid sub-subcontractor on a public bridge painting project sent an e-mail to the general contractor that stated the following. “Enclosed is the January 15, 2010 Statement to [subcontractor] for services through that date by [sub-subcontractor] for the [project] that are still unpaid. Please give me a call at [telephone number] when you have a chance.” The attached Statement listed ten invoices. The general contractor’s project manager testified to having never heard of this sub-subcontractor prior to the e-mail, and did not understand the e-mail to be some form of claim.

M.G.L. c. 149, s. 29, requires parties that do not have a direct contractual relationship with the general contractor to provide written notice to that general contractor of any claims of non-payment within 65 days of last providing labor or material on the project. The statue merely requires that the notice state “with substantial accuracy the amount claimed, [and] the name of the party for whom such labor was performed.”

The Court’s opinion included a nuanced analysis of the purpose of this notice requirement. It held that the implied purpose is to give general contractors a clear, timely understanding that a claim is being directed against them. This is to allow an opportunity to attempt to resolve the claim prior to litigation and involvement of the payment bond surety.

In ruling against the sub-subcontractor, the Court looked at all of the circumstances surrounding the e-mail and deemed it inadequate, for failing to state “explicitly or implicitly” that the e-mail constituted a claim for an unpaid balance due on the project.

Sub-subcontractors and material suppliers on public construction projects in Massachusetts should consult with a construction attorney prior to sending 65-day notices to general contractors to insure the preservation of their payment bond rights.

Prime Contractors Can Use Subcontractor’s Qualifications to Meet Specification Requirements

By on February 22, 2016

In a recent decision, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Bid Protest Unit ruled that in certain circumstances a prime or general bidder on public construction projects can use the experience and qualifications of a subcontractor to meet the requirements of the project specifications.

The case, In re Department of Mental Health, Attorney General Bid Protest Decision (February 19, 2016), involved bid documents that required bidders to have at least five years of experience with smoke and fire damper maintenance. The protester argued that the general contractor submitting the low bid did not have such experience. In rejecting the protest, the hearing officer found that the low bidder’s subcontractor’s experience met the qualification.

The ruling is expressly limited to unique circumstances. The word “bidder” usually is limited to the general or prime bidder in public construction. Here, however, the bid documents stated that a sub-bid is called a “bid.” It appears that future bid documents will need similar language for the general or prime bidders to be able to rely on subcontractors’ experience in meeting the requirements for bidders.  Our Massachusetts construction lawyers will continue to monitor the impact of this decision.