Colorado Construction Defect Lawyer

A construction defect is any property condition that does not meet approved plans, specifications, building codes, or generally accepted standards of reasonableness in the construction industry. Most often these standards are defined by the construction contract or local building codes, which are often modeled off the International Building Code.

Construction defects are usually identified as a result of damage to property due to a contractor’s improper work. Typical signs of construction defects include but are not limited to significant stucco cracks, window leaks, interior drywall cracks, cracked or breaking flatwork, dry rot, missing insulation, poor drainage, and soil movement.

Colorado property owners (including homeowners associations) must file a lawsuit concerning construction defects within the “statute of limitations” and “statute of repose.” The statute of limitations requires that a homeowner must file a lawsuit within 2 years after noticing a problem or associated damage. On the other hand, the statute of repose states requires that a construction defect claim must be brought within 6 years after substantial completion of the improvement. The statute of repose applies regardless of if there is a defect that is hidden from view.

It’s seldom a good idea to handle your case on your own. If you do, the other party’s lawyer or insurance company are much more likely to take advantage of you and not give you anywhere near the amount of money that you deserve. If you suffered any kind of injury or wrong, your own lawyer can be invaluable in seeking the compensation you deserve. Your lawyer will be experienced with similar cases and will be able to build up your case in a way that maximizes your claim and recovery.

It is difficult to answer this question precisely. Some cases settle relatively quickly in a matter of months, others that are highly contested could take a year or more to resolve. Typically, a good rule of thumb is to expect to be involved in this process for at least six months to a year. Regardless, throughout the process, you can rest assured that we will be in your corner fighting on your behalf and we will keep you adequately informed as to all happenings in your case.

At Hollington Law Firm, we never template or commoditize our legal services. Instead, we tailor our approach to each client's unique circumstances. Like our approach to the practice of law, we also believe in aligning our compensation to our success and the value that we add to the client to more fairly allocate risk and reward. Unlike many law firms, we offer our clients a range of agreements that are tailored to their personal needs and goals.

No matter what fee agreement we do have, you will never be surprised as to how we are compensated for our services. Before any formal agreement is reached, we will take all the time you need to ensure that you are both informed and comfortable as to how our fees will be earned. Following are forms of billing that we regularly offer our clients:

Details can vary, but essentially, under this arrangement the client pays the law firm an attorney fee only if the firm recovers a settlement or judgment for the client. The fee is usually a percentage of the recovery. If we lose the case, the client does not pay us a fee and is usually responsible only for litigation costs, such as copying costs or expert fees. Under this type of arrangement, we and our clients share both the risk and the reward.