Who we are
BuildLaw is a free construction law information website and part of the Shmor.ai network. Our guides are written and maintained by the BuildLaw editorial team.
BuildLaw is not a law firm and doesn’t give legal advice. We don’t represent anyone, and reading our guides doesn’t create a solicitor–client relationship. Where we name individual writers or reviewers, they are real people whose details and qualifications are shown in full, with links you can check.
How we research
We build every guide from primary sources, in this order of preference:
- legislation, such as the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 and the Scheme for Construction Contracts, on legislation.gov.uk;
- court rules and protocols, such as the Civil Procedure Rules and the Pre-Action Protocol for Construction and Engineering Disputes;
- court judgments, from Find Case Law (The National Archives) and BAILII;
- official guidance, such as GOV.UK, HSE and HMRC, and the published guidance of contract bodies such as JCT and NEC.
We use professional commentary and news only to find out what has changed, then confirm it with the primary source. Every guide lists its main sources at the end.
Accuracy and fact-checking
- Every rule, deadline and figure in a guide is checked against an official source before publication.
- We don’t invent statistics, case outcomes, prices or reviews. Worked examples are clearly labelled as illustrative, with made-up figures.
- Case summaries describe what the court decided, in plain English, with a link to the full judgment.
- We write mainly for England and Wales, and say where Scotland or Northern Ireland differ.
- Where the law is changing, we say so and give the date of the position we describe (for example “as of October 2026”).
Legal review
When a guide shows “Reviewed by”, a named, qualified professional has checked it on the date shown, and their details are listed on this page. Guides without a “Reviewed by” line have been researched and fact-checked against official sources by our editorial team, but haven’t been reviewed by a lawyer. Either way, our guides are general information, not advice for your situation.
Use of AI tools
We use software tools, including AI writing assistants, to help research, draft and edit guides. AI tools can make mistakes, so they never have the final word: every factual claim is checked against the primary sources we link to before a guide is published or updated.
Independence, services and how we make money
BuildLaw is free to read. We may earn money from referral fees when we introduce you to an independent professional through our services page, and from affiliate links.
- Service providers and commercial partners never write, pay for or approve what our guides say about the law.
- Services and partner links are clearly separated from the legal information and labelled.
- We explain both sides of construction contracts fairly, whether you’re a builder or a client.
Read how we make money.
Corrections
If you spot a mistake or an out-of-date rule, please tell us through the Shmor.ai contact page, naming the page and, if you can, the source. We review every report, correct confirmed errors promptly and update the page date.
We can’t answer questions about individual legal problems through the corrections process. For those, see our expert help page.
Last updated: 15 October 2026
