Builder Breach and Cost of Completion Damages

A homeowner contracted with a builder for construction work, which the builder subsequently abandoned before completion, leading the homeowner to hire a second contractor to finish the job and incur additional expenses. The court rejected the appeal against a decision that required the initial builder to compensate the homeowner for the increased costs incurred to complete the work, reasoning that the abandonment constituted a breach of contract, and the damages owed were the reasonable costs necessary to achieve the contracted-for result, irrespective of whether the owner later negotiated a more expensive completion with a different party.