Building Defects Law by Darryl Royce | 2026

Building Defects Law by Darryl Royce | 2026

The devastating Grenfell Tower tragedy highlighted the serious consequences that can arise from building defects and the importance of effective legal remedies. This book offers a comprehensive examination of the legal duties, liabilities, and remedies available to parties affected by defective construction, including property owners, occupiers, purchasers, and those responsible for funding remedial works. It explains how the availability of legal remedies depends on the specific circumstances surrounding each case and provides practical insight into the complexities of this area of law.

The author explores the development of the law and the reasoning behind its current principles, helping readers understand why certain legal rules have evolved as they have. The book analyses recent statutory reforms, including the impact of the Building Safety Act 2022, and discusses the leading authorities shaping this field. It also considers unresolved legal issues, such as limitation periods and the potential concurrent duties owed by contractors alongside construction professionals, while assessing whether the recent reforms adequately address the concerns raised following the Grenfell Inquiry.

Designed as a practical resource, the book also provides guidance on managing construction defect claims, including the use of expert evidence and the advantages of different dispute resolution methods. It is an invaluable reference for lawyers, construction professionals, insurers, and anyone involved in resolving disputes arising from defective building works.

Praise for 'Building Defects Law':

“Labelling a problem with a building (or with another work of construction) as a defect is usually a step towards a hoped-for form of redress against a person or entity responsible for that defect, whether that is ‘the builder’, designer, seller, landlord, warranty provider or insurer. Doing so and then identifying the possible next steps towards an effective remedy and the legal and other obstacles that may lie in the way (including adequate expert evidence to support a claim) is not straightforward. Darryl Royce’s excellent new book explores in depth the routes (contract, tort, statute and more) that may lead to an answer in English law and the procedural aspects of each, generously supported by references to standard form contracts, case law and statutory material, including the new possibilities under the Building Safety Act 2022.” — Philip Britton LLB BCL, co-author of Residential Construction Law (Hart Publishing, 2025) and former Visiting Professor and Director of the Centre of Construction Law & Dispute Resolution, King’s College London