Published Tuesday 4 August 2026 · By the JustEng team
Contribution claims reaching judgment, remediation orders following the money up the corporate chain, and a collapse investigation in South East Asia turning on an unapproved rooftop pool — here is the latest in forensic engineering and construction disputes, and what each development means for hiring and specialist engineering recruitment in the expert witness market.
First judicial assessment of a cladding contribution claim under the Building Safety Act
In Mulalley & Co Ltd v Sto Ltd [2026] EWHC 1552 (TCC), the Technology and Construction Court delivered the first judicial assessment of a contractor contribution claim against the supplier of a defective external wall system under section 149 of the Building Safety Act 2022. The court accepted the claimant expert evidence assessing total remediation costs at just over £3.4m, then applied a causation analysis attributing 85.83% of the external wall works to the Sto render. (Building)
Hiring angle: Judgments that turn on percentage apportionment of external wall works are won and lost on the quality of the quantum and facade expert evidence, which is exactly why forensic engineer recruitment is currently one of the tightest niches in the market. Consultancies building contribution-claim capability can see how we approach it on our forensic engineering recruitment page.
Tribunal orders an associated company to fund remediation at Hallings Wharf
The First-tier Tribunal has granted a Remediation Contribution Order on the application of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, recovering £3,682,997.78 from a company associated with the original developer for fire safety remediation at Hallings Wharf Studios in London. The tribunal indicated that remediation decisions taken in real time on professional advice, and within a range of reasonable responses, are unlikely to be second-guessed with hindsight. (Mayer Brown)
Hiring angle: The reasonableness test puts a premium on engineers who can evidence and defend the advice given at the time, which is steadily pulling experienced building surveyors and fire engineers into disputes-facing roles. Salary expectations in that space have moved accordingly — our forensic engineering salary guide tracks where the benchmarks now sit.
TCC refuses summary judgment in Croydon remediation agreement dispute
Mr Justice Constable has refused an application for reverse summary judgment on a claim for repudiatory breach of a remediation agreement, in a dispute arising from an agreement dated 1 July 2024 relating to the Centrillion Point development in Croydon. The claim will proceed to be determined on the evidence rather than dismissed at an early stage. (Mayer Brown)
Hiring angle: Cases that survive summary judgment generate months of technical investigation, so expect continued candidate demand for defect analysts, delay experts and remediation project managers. This is a market where headhunting beats advertising, because the strongest people are rarely applying.
Grenfell: charging decisions still not expected before 2027
The Metropolitan Police investigation remains on course to submit its remaining files to the Crown Prosecution Service by September 2026, with charging decisions expected before the tenth anniversary of the fire in June 2027. Dozens of individuals and organisations remain under investigation, with offences under consideration including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and health and safety offences. (The Construction Index)
Hiring angle: A caseload of this size absorbs an enormous amount of specialist time, and it continues to underpin long-term demand for fire engineers, materials specialists and expert witnesses across the UK. Recruitment in this niche is now a multi-year proposition rather than a short-term spike.
Angeles City collapse: unapproved rooftop pool under scrutiny
Investigations into the collapse of a nine-storey mixed-use building under construction in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City in the Philippines are continuing, with an unauthorised rooftop swimming pool that did not appear on the approved drawings identified as a likely contributing factor. Authorities are examining contractor and owner liability alongside permit and site safety compliance. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Hiring angle: Unapproved load added above the design case is one of the classic patterns in collapse investigation work, and cases like this drive international hiring for structural forensic engineers willing to travel. UK-trained chartered engineers remain sought after for these mandates.
New Higher Risk Building guidance from the Construction Leadership Council
The Construction Leadership Council has published further guidance on Higher Risk Buildings, including new notes covering the Fire and Emergency File and the Building Regulations Compliance Statement required for building control approval. (Mayer Brown)
Hiring angle: Every tightening of the golden thread documentation regime creates roles for people who can produce and audit it, and building safety and compliance vacancies continue to outpace the available pool of qualified candidates.
JustEng is a specialist engineering recruitment agency, headhunting hard-to-find forensic, fire and building safety engineers for consultancies, expert practices and clients in the UK and internationally. Looking for your next move? Submit your CV. Hiring? Register your vacancy and we will come back with a shortlist, not a pile of applications.