03/03/2026
“If the work isnt upto scratch - then don’t pay”
I read this advice yesterday in a property group and shared it on my business page …
In construction there’s a dangerous myth:
“If I’m not happy with the quality, I don’t have to pay.”
Wrong ❌
Payment and quality are two separate legal mechanisms
If a payment application is valid and no Pay Less Notice is served, the sum becomes due 🧾
Defects are dealt with under the defect rectification provisions
You don’t get to invent a third option called “I’ll just withhold it”
I know it feels sensible to not pay but that’s incorrect
I’ve recently seen this tested in adjudication just this week
The outcome?
The paying party learned the difference the expensive way
Construction law is procedural
Ignore or don’t learn the mechanisms in the industry you’re in - and you’ll end up in the sh*tty end most of the time