21/133 Castlereagh St, Sydney, NSW, 2000
Building & Construction, Family & Relationships, General Practice, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
Practice areas
Building & Construction Lawyers and Solicitors in Sydney
Building and construction law covers the contracts, regulation and disputes that arise when homes, apartments and commercial projects are designed and built. In New South Wales that includes residential building contracts under the Home Building Act 1989, defect and warranty claims, progress payment claims under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999, and the duties placed on designers and builders by the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020.
Where building disputes are heard
Residential building and strata disputes are commonly decided in the Consumer and Commercial Division of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT). Larger or more complex claims, including commercial projects, go to the District Court or the Supreme Court of New South Wales, where the Technology and Construction List deals with building and engineering cases. Payment claims under the Security of Payment Act are decided by an adjudicator appointed through an authorised nominating authority. Disputes about development consents and planning approvals belong to the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales.
Legal aid and other help
Legal Aid NSW does not usually fund private building disputes, and eligibility changes from time to time, so its website and LawAccess NSW are the places to check. NSW Fair Trading runs a free complaint and dispute resolution service for many home building problems, and the Home Building Compensation Fund can respond in limited situations where a builder has become insolvent, died or disappeared.
What to bring to a first meeting
- The signed contract, variations and any quotes
- Council or certifier approvals, plans and specifications
- Progress claims, invoices and proof of payment
- Photographs, defect lists and any inspection reports
- Emails and letters exchanged with the builder, certifier or developer
- The builder's licence number and insurance certificate
Checking who you are dealing with
A solicitor must hold a current practising certificate, which you can confirm on the Law Society of NSW public register. Barristers are listed by the NSW Bar Association. A builder's or tradesperson's licence can be checked separately through NSW Fair Trading.
Firms listed here act for owners, builders, developers and strata schemes across the Sydney CBD, Parramatta and Western Sydney, the North Shore, the Eastern Suburbs, the Inner West, the South West, Sutherland, the Hills District and the Northern Beaches.
The listings below are in alphabetical order and are not ranked.
Common questions
What is the difference between a defect and a variation?
A defect is work that does not meet the contract, the plans or the required standard. A variation is an agreed change to the original scope or price. Under the Home Building Act 1989, residential contracts must record variations in writing, and statutory warranties apply to the finished work, which is why the paperwork is usually the first thing a solicitor reads.
What is security of payment?
It is a statutory process under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 that lets contractors and suppliers claim progress payments and have unpaid claims decided quickly by an adjudicator, rather than waiting for a full court case. It applies to most commercial construction work, and the rules differ for owner-occupied residential building.
Can an owners corporation take action over building defects?
Yes. Owners corporations in strata schemes can bring claims about defects in common property, and for newer buildings the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 creates a duty of care owed by those who carry out construction work. These claims are often complex and are heard in NCAT or the District or Supreme Court, depending on the issues and the amount in dispute.
Building & Construction lawyers by suburb
Eastern Suburbs
Bellevue Hill, Ben Buckler, Bondi, Bondi Beach, Bondi Junction, Bondi Junction Plaza, Bronte, Centennial Park, Charing Cross, Chifley, Clovelly, Clovelly West, Coogee, Daceyville, Darling Point, Diamond Bay, Double Bay, Dover Heights, Eastgardens, Edgecliff, Hillsdale, Hmas Rushcutters, Hmas Watson, Kensington, Kingsford, La Perouse, Little Bay, Malabar, Maroubra, Maroubra South, Matraville, Moore Park, North Bondi, Paddington, Pagewood, Phillip Bay, Point Piper, Port Botany, Queens Park, Randwick, Rose Bay, Rose Bay North, South Coogee, St Pauls, Tamarama, Vaucluse, Watsons Bay, Waverley, Woollahra
Inner West
Abbotsford, Annandale, Ashbury, Ashfield, Balmain, Balmain East, Belfield, Birchgrove, Breakfast Point, Burwood, Burwood Heights, Burwood North, Cabarita, Campsie, Canada Bay, Canterbury, Chiswick, Clemton Park, Concord, Concord West, Croydon, Croydon Park, Drummoyne, Dulwich Hill, Earlwood, Enfield, Enfield South, Five Dock, Greenacre, Haberfield, Hurlstone Park, Leichhardt, Lewisham, Liberty Grove, Lilyfield, Marrickville, Marrickville Metro, Marrickville South, Mascot, Mortlake, Mount Lewis, North Strathfield, Petersham, Petersham North, Rhodes, Rodd Point, Rozelle, Russell Lea, Stanmore, Strathfield, Strathfield South, Summer Hill, Sydney Domestic Airport, Sydney International Airport, Undercliffe, Wareemba, Westgate
North Shore
Artarmon, Blenheim Road, Boronia Park, Cammeray, Castle Cove, Castlecrag, Chatswood, Chatswood West, Cremorne, Cremorne Junction, Cremorne Point, Crows Nest, Denistone East, East Killara, East Lindfield, East Ryde, Gladesville, Gordon, Gore Hill, Greenwich, Henley, Hmas Platypus, Hmas Waterhen, Hunters Hill, Hunters Hill West, Huntleys Cove, Huntleys Point, Killara, Kirribilli, Kurraba Point, Lane Cove, Lane Cove North, Lane Cove West, Lavender Bay, Lindfield, Lindfield West, Linley Point, Longueville, Macquarie Centre, Macquarie Park, McMahons Point, Middle Cove, Milsons Point, Monash Park, Mosman, Naremburn, Neutral Bay, Neutral Bay Junction, North Ryde, North St Ives, North Sydney, North Sydney Shoppingworld, North Willoughby, Northbridge, Northwood, Osborne Park, Putney, Riverview, Roseville, Roseville Chase, Royal North Shore Hospital, Ryde, Spit Junction, St Ives, St Ives Chase, St Leonards, Tennyson Point, Waverton, Willoughby, Willoughby East, Willoughby North, Wollstonecraft, Woolwich
Northern Beaches
Allambie, Allambie Heights, Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights, Beacon Hill, Belrose, Belrose West, Brookvale, Clontarf, Collaroy, Collaroy Beach, Collaroy Plateau, Collaroy Plateau West, Cromer, Cromer Heights, Curl Curl, Davidson, Dee Why, Dee Why Beach, Elanora Heights, Fairlight, Forestville, Frenchs Forest, Frenchs Forest East, Freshwater, Harbord, Ingleside, Killarney Heights, Long Reef, Manly, Manly East, Manly Vale, Narrabeen, Narrabeen Peninsula, Narraweena, North Balgowlah, North Curl Curl, North Manly, North Narrabeen, Oxford Falls, Queenscliff, Seaforth, Warriewood, Warriewood Shopping Square, Warringah Mall, Wheeler Heights, Wingala
South West Sydney
Arncliffe, Banksia, Bardwell Park, Bardwell Valley, Belmore, Beverley Park, Beverly Hills, Bexley, Bexley North, Bexley South, Brighton-Le-Sands, Hurstville, Hurstville Grove, Kingsgrove, Kingsway West, Kogarah, Kogarah Bay, Kyeemagh, Lakemba, Lugarno, Monterey, Narwee, Padstow, Padstow Heights, Peakhurst, Peakhurst Heights, Penshurst, Punchbowl, Ramsgate, Ramsgate Beach, Revesby, Revesby Heights, Revesby North, Riverwood, Rockdale, Roselands, Turrella, Wiley Park, Wolli Creek
Sydney CBD and Inner South
Alexandria, Banksmeadow, Barangaroo, Beaconsfield, Botany, Broadway, Camperdown, Chippendale, Darling Harbour, Darling Island, Darlinghurst, Darlington, Dawes Point, Eastlakes, Elizabeth Bay, Enmore, Erskineville, Eveleigh, Forest Lodge, Glebe, Golden Grove, Haymarket, Hmas Kuttabul, Kings Cross, Millers Point, Missenden Road, Newtown, Parliament House, Potts Point, Pyrmont, Redfern, Rosebery, Rushcutters Bay, St Peters, Surry Hills, Sydenham, Sydney, Sydney South, Taylor Square, Tempe, The Rocks, The University Of Sydney, Ultimo, Waterloo, Woolloomooloo, Zetland
Western Sydney
24 listings
Level 2, 180 Phillip Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Cyberlaw & Internet, Employment, Family & Relationships, Finance, Tax, Debt & Bankruptcy, General Practice, Intellectual Property, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
221/14 Lexington Dr, Bella Vista, NSW, 2153
Building & Construction, General Practice, Real Estate & Conveyancing
Credential source not yet checked
Level 4, Suite 402, 51 Rawson Street, Sydney, NSW, 2121
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate
Credential source not yet checked
10A Mallett Street, Camperdown NSW 2050
Building & Construction, Real Estate & Conveyancing
Credential source not yet checked
Suite 2, 674 Pittwater Rd, Brookvale NSW 2100
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Employment, General Practice, Real Estate & Conveyancing
Credential source not yet checked
122 Hume Highway, Chullora NSW 2190
Building & Construction
Credential source not yet checked
33 Park Street, Carlton NSW 2218
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Family & Relationships, General Practice, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
Level 13, 111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, NSW 2000
Building & Construction
Credential source not yet checked
29 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Cyberlaw & Internet, Employment, Finance, Tax, Debt & Bankruptcy, General Practice, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
Suite 1203/370 Pitt Street, Street SYDNEY NSW 2000
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Criminal Defence, Cyberlaw & Internet, Employment, Family & Relationships, Finance, Tax, Debt & Bankruptcy, General Practice, Immigration, Intellectual Property, Personal Injury, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
Suite 202, 806-812 Anzac Parade, Maroubra NSW 2035
Building & Construction, Real Estate & Conveyancing
Credential source not yet checked
Sydney Level 14, 15 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Building & Construction, Criminal Defence, Cyberlaw & Internet, Employment, Family & Relationships, General Practice, Intellectual Property, Personal Injury, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
3/171 Clarence Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Criminal Defence, Employment, Family & Relationships, General Practice, Personal Injury, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
51-53 Spring Street, Bondi Junction NSW 2022
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, General Practice, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
Suite 3, 162 King Street, NSW, Newtown, 2042
Building & Construction, General Practice, Real Estate & Conveyancing
Credential source not yet checked
108A Darling Street, Balmain East NSW 2041
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate
Credential source not yet checked
Level 4, 80 William St, East Sydney NSW 2011
Building & Construction
Credential source not yet checked
22 Restwell Street, Bankstown NSW 2200
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Criminal Defence, Finance, Tax, Debt & Bankruptcy, General Practice, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
Suite 2/136 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest NSW 2065
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Criminal Defence, Cyberlaw & Internet, Employment, Family & Relationships, Finance, Tax, Debt & Bankruptcy, General Practice, Intellectual Property, Personal Injury, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
Level 22, Salesforce Tower, 180 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Cyberlaw & Internet, Intellectual Property, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
Suite 219, 20 Dale Street, Brookvale NSW 2100
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Employment, General Practice, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
66 Goulburn Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Cyberlaw & Internet, Finance, Tax, Debt & Bankruptcy, General Practice, Intellectual Property, Personal Injury, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked
Level 1, 651 Pittwater Road, Dee Why NSW 2099
Building & Construction, Business, Commercial & Corporate, Finance, Tax, Debt & Bankruptcy, General Practice, Real Estate & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates
Credential source not yet checked