Getting Paid
Your right to be paid, quoting that sticks, variations, late accounts and retention — what to do so the money lands.
The work's done, the invoice is out — and then nothing. Across Australia you've got a statutory right to be paid for construction work, with a fast adjudication path for when a client or head contractor goes quiet. The trouble is most of it runs to strict deadlines that differ by state. Here's how payment really works: pricing it right, claiming it, and chasing it when it's late.
Your right to be paid (Security of Payment)
Every state and territory has Security of Payment laws, and they're on your side. Do construction work and you're entitled to make a progress claim; the other side has a set window to pay or formally dispute it, and if they don't, you can push it to rapid adjudication — far quicker and cheaper than court. The catch is the clock: claims and responses run to strict deadlines that differ by state, so know yours before you serve.
Quote it so you actually get paid
Most payment fights start at the quote. Spell out the scope, the price, what's excluded, your payment terms and whether GST applies, and a vague "sounds dear" has nowhere to go. Price the job off a real day rate rather than a gut feel and your margin survives contact with the client.
Get variations in writing
Extra work the client asks for mid-job is the classic unpaid hole. The moment scope changes, write the variation up — what, why, how much — and have them okay it before you lift a tool. No signed variation, no easy claim.
When the payment's late
A due date that's been and gone isn't something you have to wear. You can usually charge interest on an overdue account, and a genuine, undisputed debt opens harder options — including a creditor's statutory demand once the amount clears the threshold. Work out what you're actually owed, interest and all, before you send the chase.
Retention — getting the last slice back
Retention is the chunk held back until the work's signed off and the defects period passes. It's still your money; it just has a release date. Track what's held and when each tranche falls due so it doesn't quietly disappear.
When it still goes wrong
If a claim's gone cold, the state consumer tribunal or a small-claims path is usually faster and cheaper than a lawyer for everyday building debts — each with its own dollar limit. Check where your dispute fits, and what a letter of demand should say, before you escalate.