Blog
Contracts, notices and getting paid.
Plain-English guides to the clauses and claims that decide whether Australian subcontractors make money — written by people who run construction projects, not lawyers.
31/08/2026
Security of Payment deadlines, state by state: the numbers that get you paid
Payment claim windows, payment schedule deadlines, due dates and adjudication time limits under every Australian Security of Payment Act, in two tables.
31/08/2026
Notice of delay: when to send one, what to say (free template)
When to send a notice of delay, what it must contain to protect your EOT and delay costs, and a free Word template you can adapt to your subcontract.
04/08/2026
Security of Payment explained for subcontractors
How Australia's Security of Payment legislation actually helps subcontractors get paid — state by state, in plain English, with the traps to avoid.
04/08/2026
Liquidated damages in subcontracts: caps, rates and how to push back
What liquidated damages mean for Australian subcontractors: how LD rates are set, why uncapped LDs are a dealbreaker, and what to negotiate before signing.
04/08/2026
EOT notice time bars: the clause that quietly kills delay claims
There is no statutory EOT notice period — your contract sets the time bar. How condition-precedent clauses work, and the Vic and WA unfair time-bar powers.
04/08/2026
Unpaid variations: your rights and the paper trail that gets you paid
Why variations go unpaid in Australian construction, what the Security of Payment Act lets you claim, and the paper trail that wins the argument.
04/08/2026
Pay-when-paid clauses: void, unenforceable, and still in your contract
Pay-when-paid and pay-if-paid clauses are void under every Australian Security of Payment Act — but they still turn up in subcontracts. How to spot one.
04/08/2026
What is a departure schedule (and why it beats marking up the contract)
Contract departures explained in plain English: what goes in a departure schedule, a worked example, and the free Excel template to send with your tender.
04/08/2026
Retention in subcontracts: what's standard and how to get it back
How retention works in Australian subcontracts: typical percentages, release at practical completion and end of defects, and how to get your money back.