Davis Contractors v Fareham UDC [1956] AC 696

Davis Contractors agreed to build 78 houses for Fareham Council within 8 months for an agreed price of £85,000. Due to a shortage in skilled labour and material the contract took 22 months to complete and was much more expensive than anticipated. Davis Contractors were paid the contractually agreed price but bought an action arguing for more money based on the fact that the contract had become frustrated and therefore they were entitled to further payment based on a quantum meruit basis.

Held:

The contract was not frustrated. The fact that a contract becomes more difficult to perform or not so profitable is not sufficient to amount to frustration. It was still possible to perform the contract.

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