Ontario Construction News staff writer
Construction adjudications in Ontario reached a record 396 cases in the 2026 fiscal year, a 22 per cent increase from the previous year, as more industry participants turned to the process to resolve disputes without stopping construction projects.
The Ontario Dispute Adjudication for Construction Contracts (ODACC), the province’s Authorized Nominating Authority under the Construction Act, reported 190 determinations during the fiscal year ending July 31, up 33 per cent from the previous year.
The figures were included in ODACC’s 2026 Annual Report, which covers the organization’s seventh year of operation.
Of the 190 determinations, 157 resulted from adjudications started during the 2026 fiscal year, while 33 came from cases commenced near the end of the 2025 fiscal year. Another 80 adjudications remained open at the end of the reporting period.
ODACC attributed the growth to increased awareness of adjudication among contractors, subcontractors, sub-subcontractors and owners, as well as repeat use by parties that had previously gone through the process.
The report said the increase in new and returning users indicates growing confidence in adjudication as a fast and cost-effective way to resolve construction disputes while projects continue.
The value of disputes also increased. The total amount claimed in Notices of Adjudication reached $305.7 million, with an average claim of approximately $772,000. The total amount required to be paid under determinations was $74.1 million.
Industrial-sector disputes had an average claim value of more than $2.4 million.
Not all adjudications proceed to a determination. Some are terminated following a settlement between the parties or consolidation with other proceedings. During the 2026 fiscal year, 54 adjudications were terminated because the parties settled, compared with 43 in the previous year.
The fiscal year also included changes to the Construction Act and the introduction of Ontario Regulation 264/25, both of which came into force Jan. 1, 2026.
The amendments expanded access to adjudication by extending the time available to commence proceedings. Previously, adjudication generally had to begin before a contract or subcontract was completed, unless the parties agreed otherwise. Under the amended legislation, adjudication can now be commenced up to 90 days after a contract is completed, abandoned or terminated, with additional provisions applying to subcontracts.
The amendments also expanded the range of matters that can be addressed through adjudication and introduced a framework for disputes involving parties to different contracts or subcontracts for the same improvement.
Another change was the introduction of private adjudicators, giving parties an additional option when selecting someone to resolve a dispute. ODACC continues to make registry adjudicators available through its existing registry.
The Stitt Feld Handy Group delivered the first ODACC Private Adjudicator Training Course on April 10, 2026. ODACC subsequently certified its first two private adjudicators, who were added to its registry.
All adjudications commenced and completed during the fiscal year were conducted by ODACC registry adjudicators.
ODACC administers construction adjudications through an online system and is responsible for training and certifying adjudicators under Ontario’s Construction Act.
