- Unpaid Construction Payment Certificates
- Subcontractor Payment Recovery
- Construction Retention Money Recovery
- Construction Final Account Disputes
- Construction Advance Payment Recovery
- Construction Bank Guarantee Disputes
- What to do next
- FAQ
A contractor has completed handover of a tower podium. The final account has been submitted for 14 months. The employer says it is 'under review', is holding retention, and has not responded to the last two reminders.A representative scene, not a reported case.
01Unpaid Construction Payment Certificates
A payment certificate states the sum the engineer or employer's representative considers due. Once issued, it is strong evidence of a debt. Non-payment of a certified amount is one of the clearest claims in construction law.
Where no certificate has been issued, we look at whether the engineer failed to certify, and whether the employer's refusal was justified by the contract. See commercial debt recovery for general enforcement.
02Subcontractor Payment Recovery
Subcontractors are at the end of the chain, so payment delays travel downwards. The claim is against the main contractor under the subcontract, even if the main contractor says the employer has not paid.
We check pay-when-paid terms, back-to-back provisions and set-off claims. We also look at whether the subcontractor's own work was certified and accepted. Your site records are your evidence.
Discuss Your Construction ClaimSend us the contract or the key messages and we will tell you where you stand.
WhatsApp us03Construction Retention Money Recovery
Retention is money held back as security for defects. It should be released at defined stages, usually after practical completion and the defects period. Employers sometimes hold it beyond the date or use it as leverage.
We assess the release conditions, whether defects are real and outstanding, and whether the employer's claimed deductions are justified. A retention bond may replace cash retention, and that changes the strategy.
04Construction Final Account Disputes
The final account is the closing statement of everything owed: certified sums, variations, claims, deductions and retention. Disputes emerge from valuation differences and rejected claims.
We break the account into heads and prove each one. Strong accounts show quantity, rate, instruction and approval for every item. Weak accounts show one total.
05Construction Advance Payment Recovery
An employer who paid an advance can claim it back if the contractor does not perform, or if the advance has not been recovered by deduction from certificates. The advance payment guarantee is usually the lever.
A contractor facing this should reconcile the advance against work executed and certified. We check the guarantee terms and whether the claim for repayment is premature.
06Construction Bank Guarantee Disputes
Performance, advance payment and retention guarantees are generally treated as independent of the underlying contract and payable on demand if the wording says so. Courts intervene only in narrow circumstances, such as fraud or abuse.
If a call is threatened, time is short. We read the guarantee wording, expiry date and demand requirements, and decide whether an urgent application is realistic. If you are calling a guarantee, we check your demand is compliant before it is submitted.
What to do in the next 48 hours
- Reconcile what is certified and paidA one-page table: certificate number, date, amount certified, amount paid and balance.
- Write down the deductions claimedWhat the other side says it can deduct, on what ground and with what proof.
- Check guarantee expiry datesGuarantees expire. Diarise the validity date and renewal obligations immediately.
Documents we ask for first
- Payment applications and certificates
- Contract payment clause and retention terms
- Variation approvals
- Bank guarantees and any extensions
- Final account submission
- Correspondence on deductions or set-off
Questions we are asked
Is a certificate enough to win?
It is strong evidence of the amount, but the other side may argue set-off or defects. We prepare to meet both.
Can retention be released early?
If the contract allows, often against a retention bond. It depends on the contract and the stage of the project.
What if the guarantee is about to expire?
Raise it with us immediately. Extension or call decisions have to be made before expiry, and they are usually time-critical.
Related disputes
Ready to talk it through?Have the contract, the latest message and any notice in front of you. Call or WhatsApp is fine.
Call nowThis page is general information based on UAE and Dubai legislation as we understand it at the date of drafting. It is not legal advice. Laws are amended, and the right step depends on your documents and facts. Outcomes are never guaranteed.