When a property owner discovers a fault with a recently built or renovated building, the first thing they may well do is curse the general contractor that handled the project. They likely paid them a lot of money to do the work, so they are well within their rights to expect the work to have been carried out well.
Ringing up the general contractor and demanding they come and fix the problem is exactly what the majority of property owners would do. Yet every property owner needs to understand that there is always a possibility that the issue might not be as clear-cut as they think. Before they start getting too upset or demanding, they need to realize that it might not be the general contractor’s fault at all.
The architects
In many projects, the general contractor follows the orders laid down by a firm of architects. The architects should have designed a set of plans that would work. Yet sometimes they get it wrong. They might, for example, design something that uses certain materials for their aesthetic value, which are not actually suited to the purpose. They may be insufficiently strong for the load or fail to be resistant enough for the climate of the area or the intended usage. If the contractor completed the plans as laid out, in this case, it may be the architects who need to arrange a remedy.
The material supplier or manufacturer
Sometimes a piece or a whole batch of goods comes out of the factory faulty. Or they get damaged in transport or storage. That can lead to a material breaking or failing to withstand the load it is meant to withstand. The general contractor may have had no idea that a material was faulty. The manufacturer or supplier may be the ones who need to arrange a solution in such cases.
It can be challenging to know what to do when you discover a construction defect. Legal guidance can be of great help.
