For construction dues the free consultation reviews the work order or contract, RA bills and certifications, measurement records, variation approvals, the retention and defect liability clauses and the dispute clause. It then recommends the step: a formal final-account statement, an advocate's notice, MSME Samadhaan for registered MSME sub-contractors and suppliers, arbitration under the contract, or a summary suit for certified amounts. Nothing upfront; 30% on recovery.
The five kinds of construction dues
- Certified but unpaid RA bills. The strongest claim: the buyer's own engineer has certified the amount.
- Uncertified work. Measurements done, bill submitted, certification delayed. The record of submission and site measurements matters.
- Variations and extra items. Instructed on site, often verbally. Site instructions, emails and photographs are the proof.
- Retention and security deposit. Due after the defect liability period, routinely held longer.
- Material supply dues. Cement, steel, aggregates, fittings supplied to the contractor; proof is the challan and site receipt.
Documents a contractor should bring
- Work order or contract, with payment, retention, DLP and dispute clauses
- All RA bills with certification status and amounts paid
- Measurement book entries or joint measurement sheets
- Site instructions, variation approvals, drawings revisions
- Completion or handover certificate, if issued
- Correspondence about deductions, delays or defects
For material suppliers: PO, challans with site acknowledgement, e-way bills, invoices and ledger. See the construction industry page.
Routes for construction claims
Where the contract has an arbitration clause, the route after notice is arbitration; the award is enforced like a decree. Certified amounts can also support a summary suit. Udyam-registered sub-contractors and suppliers can claim interest at three times the RBI bank rate and file MSME Samadhaan, often faster than arbitration. The advocate's notice precedes all of these and settles about 60% of matters, because developers and main contractors want to avoid a formal dispute on a live project.
Cost and next steps
Nothing is charged upfront. If you proceed, FundRaksha Legal charges 30% only on the amount actually recovered; if nothing is recovered there is no success fee. Court fees, where a matter is filed, are borne by you and told to you in advance. If you decide to go ahead, a dedicated advocate is assigned within 24 hours of your complete documents and the legal notice goes out as an e-notice, followed by registered post. Construction advocates handle the measurement and certification issues that general recovery work does not involve.
See retention dues for contractors, vendor payment, and city pages for Delhi, Pune and Noida, where construction dues are common.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-08. Information for Indian businesses; not legal advice.