Screwed Down.
How Australian builders take your margin, and how to take it back.
Subcontracts are drafted to push risk and cash down the chain, and the law written to protect you only works if you know it exists. This is the plain-English book on the clauses that decide who gets paid: what each one costs you in dollars, what to ask for before you sign, and the paperwork that gets you paid what you priced. Written for subcontractors, not lawyers.
How you get screwed down
- 1You are the builder's bank, and the interest rate is zeroBuilder paying late? Why subcontractors end up as the builder's bank →
- 2Two words that kill more claims than bad work ever willCondition precedent time bars: how one late notice kills a good claim →
- 3One late week costs more than your marginUncapped liquidated damages: why one late week costs more than your margin →
- 4The deduction you find out about on the certificateSet-off and back charges: the deduction you only find on the certificate →
- 5"Do it, we'll sort the paperwork later"Verbal variations: why "we'll sort the paperwork later" means never paid →
- 6Your money, their accountRetention and deeds of release: how 5 per cent for a year becomes five years →
- 7They can walk. You can'tTermination for convenience: what you're paid when the builder walks →
- 8The illegal clause that is still in your contractPay when paid is void: the illegal clause still in your subcontract →
- 9When they go under, you are last in the queueWhen a builder goes into administration, subcontractors are last in line →
How you take it back
- 10You have more leverage than you think, and less time to use it than you knowNegotiating a subcontract: your leverage peaks before you sign →
- 11Inside the builder's tender room: what happens to your quote after you press sendInside the tender room: how your exclusions vanish from the subcontract →
- 12Credit-check the builder before the builder credit-checks youHow to check a builder before you price: the ten-minute credit check →
- 13Price the contract, not just the scopePrice the contract, not just the scope: what each subcontract clause costs →
- 14Read it in ten minutesHow to review a subcontract in ten minutes: five searches and a checklist →
- 15The departures schedule: what builders actually say yes toDepartures schedule: the subcontract changes builders actually agree to →
- 16The paperwork that gets you paidThe subcontractor paperwork system that gets your progress claims paid →
- 17The snowball: why the subbie who follows up in writing gets paid firstChasing late payment from a builder: the escalation ladder that works →
- 18Silence is a debt dueNo payment schedule? Why a builder's silence makes your claim a debt due →
- 19Down tools, legallySuspending work for non-payment: how subcontractors down tools legally →
The resource pack, free
The book's appendix as a PDF: the state by state cheat sheet, the anti-screw checklist, the builder check, nine notice templates, the departures schedule template and the wording bank. It is the companion to the audiobook, and free for everyone.
Download the resource pack (PDF)Common questions
Who is Screwed Down written for?
Australian subcontractors and trade business owners who sign builders' subcontracts: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, concreters, linings, mechanical, civil and every other trade. It is written for the person who signs the contract and chases the payment, not for lawyers.
Does the book cover my state?
The mechanisms it explains, such as payment claims, time bars, set-off, retention and liquidated damages, work the same way across Australia. Where the Security of Payment Acts differ by state, the book says so and the appendix has a state cheat sheet. Always check the current Act for your state.
Is Screwed Down legal advice?
No. It is general information from someone who has administered subcontracts from both sides of the table. It shows you what to look for, what to ask for and what to put in writing. For a live dispute, get advice on your specific contract.
Is there an audiobook?
Yes. The whole book, about four hours, read in a digital replica of my voice. It is on Spotify and Google Play. The free resource pack on this page has the templates and checklists the audiobook refers to.
Kindle or paperback?
Both are on Amazon Australia: Kindle $14.99 and paperback $34.99. The paperback suits the desk where the claims get done, because every chapter ends with one thing to do on Monday.
Amazon ranking as seen on Amazon Australia in September 2026; ranks move daily. General information for Australian subcontractors, not legal advice.