Quantum meruit: definition and example
A reasonable payment for work or services where the applicable legal basis permits that form of recovery.
By Jack Butler-Kettle · Updated
Guidance for England and Wales. Check the contract, amendments and facts that apply to your job.
What it means in practice
Quantum meruit concerns a reasonable payment in circumstances where the law permits that basis. It is not a general way to bypass an unfavourable agreed price. Whether the claim is contractual or restitutionary, and how a reasonable sum should be assessed, depends on the agreement and facts.
Preserve instructions, negotiations and records of the work. Letter of intent recovery can help organise the evidence, with specialist advice on the legal basis.
Worked example
The facts
A specialist carries out requested work while the parties disagree about whether a price was finally agreed.
What happens
It gathers the quotation, instructions and relevant correspondence.
It obtains advice on the payment basis before valuing the work as a reasonable sum.
What this shows
The absence of a signed document does not automatically establish a quantum meruit claim.