The focus of the book is on construction contracts entered into by commercial organisations operating in a business environment. Contract law generally assumes that such parties are of equal bargaining power and puts relatively few fetters on their ability to agree on the terms of their bargain. However, where legislation impacts on the execution of construction projects or the operation of construction contracts it may be of major importance in protecting the rights of weaker parties or third parties.

It is assumed that the users of this book will be familiar with the general concepts of tendering and contracting for engineering and construction projects but may not have any formal knowledge of the law. To the extent possible, the emphasis is on general principles of contract law that are widely accepted in many jurisdictions. Examples are drawn from case law in a number of common law jurisdictions, as well as from civil codes.