Construction Contract Dispute Attorney for Homeowners in Minneapolis
Building a home can be a stressful and overwhelming process. When you hire a contractor, you expect that they will complete the work as laid out in the contract you sign with them. Unfortunately, sometimes people do not deliver on what they promise. If you are a Minneapolis-area homeowner and your contractor has not fulfilled their contract as agreed, you should enlist the help of a Minneapolis construction contract dispute lawyer for homeowners.
Minnesota Construction Law Services keeps the simple simple
About Minnesota Construction Law Services
At Minnesota Construction Law Services, construction law is all we do. We work on behalf of our clients to make the process of resolving construction contract disputes much less stressful and more straightforward. When clients step into our office on Centre Pointe Drive in Roseville, they feel heard, supported, and cared for. Although we are a small firm, we bring large-firm capabilities and competence to every case we take on.
What Should Be Included in a Construction Contract in Minneapolis?
The population of the Minneapolis metropolitan area is growing quite quickly. In fact, by the year 2050, there could be an estimated 231,000 households in Minneapolis, up from 210,000 in 2024. With that significant increase comes the need for a great many new homes.
According to Minnesota Statutes Section 326B.809, a legally solid construction contract should have several specific elements:
- A detailed description of the services the contractor intends to perform
- A description of materials the contractor plans to use or a standard features list
- The total price of the work, or a description of how the total price will be calculated, with the price for some projects depending on actual materials used and hours worked
Aside from these requirements, the law also requires that contractors provide customers with performance guidelines, in writing, for the work they intend to perform. These guidelines must be included or referenced in the contract. Contracts are also legally required to be signed by both the customer and the contractor, and the contractor must provide the customer with a copy.
Statutory Warranties in Minneapolis
Minnesota also has laws in place to protect homeowners who purchase new construction homes. These are called statutory warranties, and they can be found in Chapter 327A of the Minnesota Statutes. The statutes are summarized as follows:
- For one year, the home must be free from any problems caused by poor craftsmanship or defective materials that arise from noncompliance with construction standards.
- For two years, the warranty covers problems arising from poor installation of plumbing, cooling, heating, or electrical systems.
- Any defects that arise from noncompliance with construction standards are covered under statutory warranty for ten years.
This means that, as a homeowner, if these problems arise, you can legally ask your contractor to fix them for no additional charge.
Common Construction Contract Disputes
Because construction contracts can be complex and projects can be more complicated or time-consuming than expected, sometimes disagreements can arise with contracts. Here are some common types of contract disputes:
- Payment. Payment disputes can arise when the total cost of the project was not accurately estimated, when a contractor claims they did extra work that the homeowner did not pay for, or when a homeowner perceives that work is defective and does not want to pay for it.
- Scope of work. Sometimes, contracts are vague, usually unintentionally, about the scope of the work the contractor intends to perform. A homeowner and contractor may disagree about whether an item was included in the contract.
- Delays. Most construction contracts include an estimate of the amount of time a project will take to complete. Significant delays can result in frustration or losses for homeowners. For example, if someone has moved out of a house and into a short-term rental, a construction delay can increase the amount of money they spend on the rental.
- Defective work. Homeowners sometimes claim that a contractor’s work is substandard and therefore not what was agreed upon in the contract. Customers may refuse to pay for the work or may demand repairs before they pay.
Hire a Construction Contract Dispute Lawyer for Homeowners
If you have a dispute with your contractor, the first thing you should do is hire a construction contract dispute lawyer for homeowners. Your attorney can help you go over the particulars of your contract and review what your contractor should have done. The lawyer can then help you decide how to pursue a resolution.
FAQs
If you are filing a claim against a contractor for breach of contract, you have six years from the date of the breach to file the claim, according to Minnesota Statutes Section 541.05. This is called a statute of limitations, and it is very important to adhere to. After this amount of time has elapsed, an incident becomes inactionable from a legal standpoint.
Yes, you can file a civil claim against a contractor in Minneapolis. If you have suffered losses as a result of a contractor’s actions or inactions, you can file a civil claim to recover those losses on the basis that the contractor breached their contract or was negligent. Your attorney can help you decide how to pursue compensation.
No, your dispute case is certainly not guaranteed to go to trial. It is actually extremely unlikely that it will. In almost all construction dispute cases, a satisfactory resolution is reached long before anyone even thinks about entering a courtroom. A good attorney should go into the case with the aim of coming to an agreement about repairs or compensation without a judge.
If the problem with your contractor’s services is covered under a statutory warranty, Minnesota law requires that you give the contractor written notice of the problem, and the contractor then has 30 days to respond to the claim and inspect the work. The vendor is then required to provide you with an offer to repair the work within 15 days of completing the inspection. If the contractor does not comply, you can file a court claim.
Contact Minnesota Construction Law Services Today
If you are a Minneapolis homeowner facing a contract dispute with a contractor, you don’t need to handle this stressful situation alone. At Minnesota Construction Law Services, we know construction law through and through. Contact us today to discuss your case with a Minneapolis construction contract dispute lawyer for homeowners.
