Two labour only subcontractors have found themselves liable in negligence to the current and future owners of a house they had helped build. Their liability was assessed at as being a 20% share of the loss. Yes, it was a leaking problem. (60% of the responsibility was attributed to the plasterer and 20% to Council). See Boyd v McGregor (17 February 2010, High Court, Auckland).

Building or renovating a house is a complex process. Whilst this case is good for homeowners – it widens the net of people who recoveries can be made against, it would be a whole lot better if the project had been managed properly in the first place. Make sure there is someone managing your new build or renovation projects – be that a project manager, an architect or a main contractor.