
Construction contract with vague milestones
Construction contract with vague milestones
The situation
A homeowner paid progressive amounts to a contractor, then work stopped mid-project. The contract spoke only of “payment by agreement” and had no clear handover or defect clauses. Each side blamed the other for delay and quality issues.
How we approach it
We reconstructed what was actually agreed from messages and invoices, quantified unfinished work and defects, and sent a formal notice setting a cure period. We prepared either a renegotiated completion schedule with retention money or a claim for damages and contract termination.
Possible outcome
The parties signed an addendum with measurable milestones and a final inspection checklist. Work resumed; retention was released only after defects were fixed.


