Construction Law
Contract structuring, lien and bond documentation, workforce compliance, and risk allocation. Counsel for general contractors, subcontractors, and specialty trades, grounded in how the work actually gets built and paid for.
The Practice
Construction runs on contracts that allocate risk before a shovel hits the ground. The prime contract, the subcontract, the change order, the payment terms. Each is drafted by someone whose interests are not yours, and each carries language that quietly decides who carries the cost when a schedule slips or a scope shifts.
Lawyers in this practice handle the transactional and business-side work that keeps a construction company on solid footing. Drafting and reviewing contracts, papering change orders correctly, preparing and filing the statutory lien and bond documentation that preserves payment rights, structuring the workforce, and getting the indemnification and insurance provisions right. The work is practical and commercial, built around how contractors actually run projects.
The goal is straightforward. Get the foundational documents right so the company gets paid, carries the risk it agreed to and no more, and stays on call as the next project comes in.
Why It Matters
Prime contracts and subcontracts are drafted by the party with leverage, and they push risk downhill. Indemnification, delay, and scope language quietly assigns cost. A careful review surfaces the terms worth negotiating before signature.
Mechanic's lien and bond claim rights depend on notices and filings made correctly and on time. These are statutory paperwork requirements, not optional. Missing a preliminary notice or a filing window can quietly forfeit payment protection.
Work performed without a signed change order is work performed at risk. Clear change order procedures, documented in the contract and followed in the field, keep added scope from turning into unpaid cost.
Treating workers as independent contractors when they function as employees creates tax, wage, and benefit exposure. The classification has to match the reality, and the agreements should reflect the right one.
Public and federally funded work carries prevailing wage and certified payroll obligations. The requirements are specific and the recordkeeping is detailed. Getting the compliance documentation right keeps the company eligible for the next bid.
A subcontract signed badly costs money on every project it governs. A poorly structured indemnification provision can outlast the job by years. Getting the foundational documents right saves the next several contracts.
Services
Nine service areas covering the transactional and business-side legal work most relevant to general contractors, subcontractors, and specialty trades. Engagements are scoped to the matter, ongoing counsel is available for companies with active project pipelines.
The prime contract sets the terms for the whole job. Lawyers draft and review owner agreements, scope and payment provisions, schedule and delay language, and the risk allocation that decides who carries the cost when conditions change.
Subcontracts flow risk down from the prime contract, and the terms are rarely in the subcontractor's favor. Lawyers review and draft subcontracts on either side: flow-down provisions, payment timing, scope definition, and the terms worth negotiating.
Added scope only gets paid when it's papered correctly. Lawyers build the change order procedures into the contract and review the documentation so extra work is authorized in writing before it's performed, not argued over after.
Payment rights depend on the statutory paperwork being prepared and filed correctly and on time. Lawyers prepare and file mechanic's lien and bond claim documentation so payment protection is preserved through proper compliance, not left to chance.
How the workforce is classified and documented carries tax and compliance weight. Lawyers draft employment and contractor agreements, advise on independent contractor classification, and keep the workforce documentation aligned with how crews actually work.
Public and federally funded projects carry prevailing wage and certified payroll obligations. Lawyers advise on the compliance requirements and help structure the recordkeeping so the company stays eligible and the paperwork holds up.
Indemnification and insurance provisions decide who pays when something goes wrong on a job. Lawyers review and structure these terms, additional insured requirements, and the risk allocation so the company carries the risk it agreed to and no more.
How the business is organized shapes liability and exposure across projects. Lawyers form and structure the entities (LLCs, holding arrangements, and operating structures) that isolate risk and match the way the company takes on work.
For established contractors, the business itself needs the same care as the projects. Lawyers handle entity structuring, business acquisitions and sales, equipment and asset transactions, and succession planning for construction and trade companies.
Who We Work With
Prime contracts, subcontract administration, change order procedures, and the lien and bond documentation that keeps a project paid from the top down.
Subcontract review, flow-down analysis, payment timing terms, and the lien and bond filings that preserve payment rights on every job.
Trade agreements, workforce classification, licensing entity structure, and the contract terms that match how the work is bid and performed.
Service and installation contracts, warranty terms, equipment agreements, and the business-side counsel that keeps a mechanical contractor on solid footing.
Subcontracts, scope and exclusion clarity, change order documentation, and the indemnification and insurance terms that allocate risk fairly.
Management agreements, owner and trade contracts, risk allocation structures, and the governance that keeps a multi-project operation running cleanly.
How It Works
Most engagements start with a single contract or filing. The relationship grows from there, or doesn't, depending on what you need.
01
Your lawyer learns the project, the parties, the scope, and what's on the table. This is the conversation that shapes the contract and the risk position.
45-60 minutes
02
Lawyers review the prime contract or subcontract on the table, or draft the one you need. Plain-English summary of the risks and the terms worth negotiating.
3-7 business days
03
Lawyers handle the back-and-forth with the owner's or contractor's counsel, or sit beside you while you negotiate. You keep the relationship; the lawyer holds the legal line.
Varies by project
04
Final review, signature, and the lien, bond, and entity documentation the project requires, prepared and filed correctly and on time. Documents land in your MyRelevant portal.
1-3 business days
05
Most construction clients come back. Lawyers stay on call for the next subcontract, the change order that needs papering, the lien deadline on the horizon, and the business growth down the road.
Ongoing
Client Portal
MyRelevant is the client portal for managing the legal side of a construction business. Documents in one place, reminders before lien and notice deadlines arrive, direct messaging with your lawyer, and the audit trail every contractor eventually wishes they had.
Every prime contract, subcontract, and change order in one place. Searchable, dated, and accessible from anywhere.
Automatic alerts before lien and notice deadlines arrive, contracts renew, or licensing and bonding terms expire.
Send a contract for a quick read without scheduling a meeting. Most reviews come back in two to three business days.
Contracts, lien filings, and sensitive correspondence stored with the security a growing construction business requires.
Message your lawyer directly through the portal — direct answers without waiting on callbacks.
Active contracts, pending filings, and recent closings tracked in one view so nothing falls through.
Frequently Asked
For any meaningful job, yes. Subcontracts flow risk down from the prime contract through indemnification, flow-down, and payment provisions that rarely favor the subcontractor. A lawyer's review surfaces the terms worth negotiating before you sign, and the cost is modest against the size of the project.
Yes. Mechanic's lien and bond claim rights depend on preliminary notices and filings prepared correctly and made on time. Lawyers handle this as statutory compliance paperwork: tracking the deadlines and preparing and filing the documentation so your payment rights are preserved.
Work performed without a signed change order is work performed at risk. Lawyers build clear change order procedures into the contract so added scope is authorized in writing and priced before it's performed, which keeps extra work from turning into unpaid cost.
Classification turns on how the work is actually controlled and performed, not just the label on the agreement. Lawyers review your arrangements, advise on whether workers should be employees or independent contractors, and draft documentation that reflects the right classification.
Yes. Public and federally funded projects carry prevailing wage and certified payroll obligations with detailed recordkeeping. Lawyers advise on the compliance requirements and help structure the documentation so the company stays eligible for the next bid.
It depends on the type of work, your licensing, and your liability concerns. Common structures include LLCs, holding arrangements, and operating entities that isolate risk across projects. Your lawyer walks through the tradeoffs and sets up the structure that fits.
Yes. For established contractors and trade companies, lawyers handle entity structuring, business acquisitions and sales, equipment and asset transactions, and succession planning, all on the transactional and business side.
Related Services
Next Steps
Schedule a confidential consultation. The first call is a conversation about the project in front of you, how the contract is typically structured, and what's worth getting right before you sign.
State Disclosures
Virginia: Legal services in Virginia are provided by independently owned and operated Virginia law firms doing business as Relevant Law. The responsible licensed Virginia lawyer and office address for each Virginia location are listed on that location's office page.
Washington: The Supreme Court of Washington does not recognize specialties in the practice of law, and no representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
Relevant Law offices are independently owned and operated by licensed attorneys.