Construction adjudication

Adjudication moves quickly. Your response should too.

HQ Law acts for referring and responding parties in construction adjudication. Chris Hough brings experience as both a construction solicitor and adjudicator, with an engineering background that is particularly valuable where the dispute turns on valuation, delay, scope or technical evidence.

Urgent adjudication? Call Chris Hough on 07843 580 112

Received a Notice? Start here Call Chris now

Support from notice to decision.

Depending on the dispute, HQ Law can assist with early merits analysis, jurisdiction issues, preparation of the referral or response, evidence and submissions, procedural correspondence, settlement strategy and the consequences of the decision.

If you have just received a notice

Preserve the Notice of Adjudication and record exactly when it was received.
Locate the executed contract and any amendments.
Identify the dispute already crystallised between the parties.
Gather the key payment, programme, valuation and correspondence records.
Seek advice quickly before procedural positions are taken.

Common adjudication issues

Procedural pressure often sits alongside difficult technical facts.

Payment

Valuation, notices, pay less notices, final account and retention.

Jurisdiction

Scope of the dispute, contractual route, appointment and procedural objections.

Delay / defects

Programme evidence, causation, technical evidence and valuation of consequences.

Published adjudication fees

Indicative solicitor fees from £3,500 + VAT, plus any applicable adjudicator nomination fee.

For suitable adjudications, HQ Law can agree a fixed or capped solicitor fee after reviewing the value, complexity, evidence, document volume and timetable. The ranges below are guidance only and do not override a matter-specific quote.

Approximate dispute value	Indicative solicitor fee
Up to £25,000	£3,500–£4,500 + VAT + applicable adjudicator nomination fee
£25,001–£50,000	£4,500–£6,000 + VAT + applicable adjudicator nomination fee
£50,001–£100,000	£5,500–£8,000 + VAT + applicable adjudicator nomination fee
£100,001–£200,000	£7,500–£12,000 + VAT + applicable adjudicator nomination fee
£200,001–£500,000	£10,000–£17,500 + VAT + applicable adjudicator nomination fee
Over £500,000	Bespoke quote + VAT + applicable adjudicator nomination fee

Adjudicator's fees and expenses, experts, counsel and other third-party disbursements are separate unless expressly included. More complex delay, defects, programming, quantum or jurisdiction-heavy matters may fall outside the guide range regardless of claim value. See full pricing and scope notes

Statutory timetable

How quickly does construction adjudication move?

For qualifying construction contracts, section 108 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 gives a party a right to refer a dispute to adjudication. The contractual procedure must aim to secure appointment of the adjudicator and referral of the dispute within seven days of the Notice of Adjudication. The adjudicator must ordinarily reach a decision within 28 days of the referral. The referring party can consent to an extension of up to 14 days, and both parties can agree a longer period.

Where the Scheme for Construction Contracts applies, the Notice should briefly identify the dispute, where and when it arose, the redress sought and the parties. The referral must then be served within seven days of the Notice and should include the contract and the documents relied on.

7 daysStatutory objective for appointment and referral after the Notice.

28 daysOrdinary period from referral to the adjudicator's decision.

Binding nowThe decision is binding unless and until finally determined by litigation, arbitration or agreement.

Can an adjudication be ignored?

No sensible response strategy assumes the timetable will pause. A respondent should identify the contract, preserve jurisdiction points and assemble the core evidence immediately.

Can an adjudicator's decision be appealed?

Not in the ordinary appellate sense. The statutory regime makes the decision temporarily binding. Enforcement challenges are generally confined to limited grounds such as jurisdiction or material breaches of natural justice, with exceptional routes for suitable Part 8 issues.

What is a jurisdiction challenge?

It may concern whether there is a qualifying construction contract, whether the adjudicator was properly appointed, whether the dispute referred is the dispute that had crystallised, or whether the referral exceeds the permissible scope.

What should be done in the first 24 hours?

Record service, obtain the contract and amendments, identify the dispute and deadlines, preserve jurisdiction objections, and start a focused document chronology rather than collecting material indiscriminately.

Key sources: HGCRA 1996, s.108 · Scheme for Construction Contracts · TCC Guide 2026.

Free PDF guide

Received a Notice of Adjudication? The First 24 Hours

Download HQ Law’s practical response guide covering the immediate timetable, contract and jurisdiction checks, evidence preservation and the documents to organise first.

Download the guide

Next step

Need to respond to an adjudication?

Call Chris Hough directly if a live adjudication timetable is already running. Email the notice and basic party details only after checking that the firm can act.

Discuss the adjudication Call 07843 580 112 See costs & fee options