https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videosweekly0.6 https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/do-you-need-a-lawyer-to-adjudicate-no2026-10-28T06:02:21.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eX-iezrxKcY/maxresdefault.jpgDo I need a lawyer to run an adjudication as a subcontractor?No, you do not need a lawyer to run an adjudication. The system was built so subbies can apply themselves, and its core value is getting cash flowing quickly and cheaply when a builder is withholding payment. Legal advice can help in some situations, especially for large, serious disputes, but Mat says lawyers can cost three to five thousand dollars and are often slow. The Act can be strict, so adjudicators check that you followed the right sequence, starting with a valid payment claim. There are typically three ways in: the builder gave no payment schedule, the schedule was for less than you claimed, or the schedule was issued but the due date passed and you were not paid. Mat says the no payment schedule route is usually the strongest.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/eX-iezrxKcY2026-10-28T06:02:21.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/what-happens-when-nobody-runs-the-site2026-10-27T06:02:36.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2VKFZHyhWWU/maxresdefault.jpgWhat happens on site when the project manager and site manager are both away?When nobody is covering the site, small gaps get missed and a subbie can turn up to find they can't start work. In Mat's story, the project manager and site manager were both away and nobody had arranged access for the roofer, who needed to finish his last scope before practical completion. A crew standing around costs the subbie money and delays the builder's program. That can lead to delay claims or variations, and more risk of missing practical completion and being charged liquidated damages (LDs). Small problems can snowball into disputes. Mat avoided it by turning up early, letting the roofer in and acting as site manager for the day.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2VKFZHyhWWU2026-10-27T06:02:36.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/why-do-so-many-australian-builders-go-broke2026-10-21T06:02:43.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/m0OTtohCev8/maxresdefault.jpgWhy do so many Australian builders go broke and what does it mean for subbies?Builders go broke because a building company runs mostly on other people's money, so a small shock can bring the whole thing down. A builder signs a fixed price contract with thin margins, maybe three or four percent, and relies on the gap between paying subbies and being paid by the developer. When steel prices rise, wet weather causes delays or a developer pays late, the margin disappears. The builder then pays subbies later, holds retention and uses new job deposits to cover old jobs. When the new work stops, the stack falls. Subbies are unsecured creditors, so they are paid last, and in the collapses Mat looked at they got between nothing and 11 cents in the dollar.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/m0OTtohCev82026-10-21T06:02:43.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/what-builders-do-to-subcontractors-from-the-guy-who-did-it2026-10-20T06:03:03.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4zQV3NhEJiA/maxresdefault.jpgWhat tricks do builders use to take money off subcontractors?Builders use five standard moves against subcontractors, and none of them are illegal. First is the levelling call, where you confirm everything is included and give away exclusions for free. Second is liquidated damages with no cap, which 85% of clauses in Mat's Index have. Third is the time bar, where a late notice of a variation gets the claim rejected on the date alone. Fourth is set off, where the builder cuts your claim with no proof, and 97% of subcontracts analysed allow it on reasonable belief. Fifth is cash flow, where builders pay the subbies who chase them in writing first. Each move only works if you don't know it exists, and each has a sentence or habit that beats it.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4zQV3NhEJiA2026-10-20T06:03:03.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/how-do-builders-actually-make-money-its-your-money2026-10-19T06:03:08.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TVGBQ6XZa9w/maxresdefault.jpgHow do builders make money from subcontractors' payment terms and retention?Builders make much of their money from the gap between when they pay subbies and when they get paid, because the subcontract is written to make that gap as long as possible. On a $500k package claimed at about $42k a month, a 30 day term that realistically runs 45 to 60 days leaves around $60,000 of your work unpaid at any time. Add 5% retention and unsorted variations, and roughly $85k to $125k of your money sits with the builder. Across 20 or 30 trades, that becomes interest free working capital. You can shrink the gap by claiming on every reference date, asking for a shorter payment term before you sign, and diarising your retention release.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/TVGBQ6XZa9w2026-10-19T06:03:08.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/every-chapter-of-screwed-down-in-five-minutes2026-10-18T06:02:46.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gofL-5ZDM4c/maxresdefault.jpgWhat is covered in each chapter of the book Screwed Down for subbies?Screwed Down is split into two parts. Part one, how you get screwed down, covers the problems subbies face: acting as the builder's bank, claims lost on technicalities, liquidated damages, deductions on certificates, verbal quotations, money held in the builder's account, illegal clauses and what happens when a builder goes under. Part two, how you take it back, covers leverage, what happens inside the builder's tender room, credit checking the builder, pricing the contract, what builders actually agree to, the paperwork that gets you paid, following up in writing, silence as a debt due and downing tools legally. The book also has a prologue, an epilogue, short personal interludes between chapters and an appendix with a resource pack of freebies.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/gofL-5ZDM4c2026-10-18T06:02:46.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/the-500-variation-myth-that-costs-subbies-thousands2026-10-17T06:02:12.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Awv1W8cpWOQ/maxresdefault.jpgShould I submit a variation for every small change on site, even if it's only $500?Yes. Put in a variation for every change, even a small one, because builders value subbies who document changes properly. What they dislike more is a subbie who raises a change late, whether that is three months later or at the end of the project. The builder then struggles to work out what changed, who needs to be paid, and whether they can claim it upstream from their principal. If a full variation document feels like too much today, start with a short written email to the builder's project representative saying the work is proceeding as a variation to your subcontract. Then prepare the detailed variation a day or two later, by the end of the week. That email takes about five minutes and can save you thousands.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Awv1W8cpWOQ2026-10-17T06:02:12.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/price-the-subcontract-not-just-the-scope2026-10-16T06:02:08.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/W9dPhM9dEcE/maxresdefault.jpgShould I price the subcontract risk as well as the scope when quoting a tender?Yes. Every line in a subcontract is a risk, so you should assess it the same way you assess a scope item. You price the materials, the labour and the items, and sometimes you add a contingency for risk. The subcontract clauses, including things like liquidated damages (LDs), deserve the same treatment. Builders can screw down subbies because they know most subbies don't have time to read every word. Work out which clauses you must negotiate because you can't price them, which ones to price, which to manage internally and which fall under your insurance. When you know what risk you are taking on, you can quote more competitively and avoid putting your company at risk if a dispute arises later.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/W9dPhM9dEcE2026-10-16T06:02:08.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/risk-flows-downhill-why-subbies-get-screwed-down2026-10-15T06:02:15.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fNU39wzO2GA/maxresdefault.jpgWhy do subbies always seem to get screwed down by builders on subcontracts?Subbies get screwed down because risk flows downhill and builders push as much of it onto them as they can. The principal holds the risk first, then shifts a lot of it onto the builder, who prices for it under the head contract. The builder then hands the subbie a subcontract that passes that risk further down. Subbies often sign it without reading it, because it arrives on a Thursday afternoon and they are expected on site the next Monday. They usually price only the scope, materials and a few commercial items, not the contract risk. Builders can then point to the signed contract and say it was agreed. The result is an unfair imbalance, which can lead to disputes and unpaid variations.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/fNU39wzO2GA2026-10-15T06:02:15.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/why-i-dropped-out-of-uni-to-learn-construction-on-site2026-10-14T06:02:22.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tFErsVAiGbo/maxresdefault.jpgIs it worth dropping out of uni to learn construction on site instead?For Mat, yes. He dropped out of a construction management degree at QUT because the teaching felt outdated and he wasn't getting live experience. In a take-off class they were still using pen and paper and rulers to work out quantities, while he was already working as a junior contract administrator for a commercial builder. He told his director he would put his time and money into learning things that were relevant, including reading a negotiation book, rather than finishing the degree. Working full-time meant he could learn how a project really runs without assignments getting in the way. He says uni still has a time and place and taught him some valuable things, but exposure on site and in the office made him more valuable.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/tFErsVAiGbo2026-10-14T06:02:22.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/how-i-got-a-plasterer-to-drop-his-variation-price-by-332026-10-13T06:02:26.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-zoP0SZMoUk/maxresdefault.jpgHow do builders negotiate down a subbie's variation price?Builders get a variation price down by negotiating from leverage, which means having a cheaper alternative ready. In Mat's story, a plasterer already on site quoted 3.4k to do a steel frame at the entrance of an office fit out. Mat gathered other quotes from metal fabricators at around 2.9k, and knew his own site manager could do it for about two grand. He told the plasterer he had another option at two grand and asked for his lowest price that still gave a reasonable profit. The plasterer came back at 2.4k, about 33 percent less. Know your lowest number, hold firm, and be ready to walk away rather than absorb costs or take on too much risk.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/-zoP0SZMoUk2026-10-13T06:02:26.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/subbies-broke-my-scanner-heres-what-v4-fixed2026-10-12T06:02:19.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qxyIzpvaNBg/maxresdefault.jpgCan I use an AI subcontract risk scanner on a scanned PDF or large subcontract?Yes. The v4 Subcontract Risk Scanner now reads printer scanned subcontracts, including PDFs with markups on them, which earlier versions could not analyse. It also works on corporate networks with proxies, so subbies with strict company security can use it. The upload limit has gone up to 300 pages and 50 megabytes, to suit the documents subbies actually deal with. You can upload your subcontract for free with no account, and within about two minutes you get a risk report covering all the clauses assessed and the key risk items tailored to you. The v4 update also adds a negotiation pack and handover cards. A Brisbane civil subcontractor called it a game changer for anyone who doesn't want to spend $3.5k on a lawyer.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/qxyIzpvaNBg2026-10-12T06:02:19.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/the-security-of-payment-act-is-the-subbies-biggest-counterweight2026-10-11T06:02:16.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4pYfIR4aa84/maxresdefault.jpgHow can the Security of Payment Act help a subbie who isn't managing their subcontract?The Security of Payment Act in your state gives a subbie protections even if they never read or manage the subcontract. It lets you take the builder to adjudication, which is quicker and cheaper than court, to get paid for work done that the builder is withholding without a fair reason. It also lets you give written notice that you will stand down and not come to site until you are paid, and that is legal under the Act. The Act can't be contracted out of, so a clause saying it doesn't apply is wrong at law, and the Act takes precedence over the subcontract. It differs by state, including the Northern Territory, so check yours. This is commercial advisory, not legal advice.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4pYfIR4aa842026-10-11T06:02:16.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/how-i-negotiated-liquidated-damages-from-15000-a-day-down-to-30002026-10-09T06:02:24.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/atnP3-nyxY8/maxresdefault.jpgCan you negotiate a liquidated damages rate down in a subcontract?Yes, you can, and often all it takes is asking. In Mat's example, a builder put $15,000 per day in liquidated damages on a $5.5 million electrical subcontract. Mat struck it out, wrote in a lower rate of about $2,000 to $2,500 per day with a 10% cap, and explained why in the justification column of the departures. He said the rate was too high, out of line with industry standard and looked like a head contract rate that hadn't been divided among the subbies. The builder agreed to $3,000 per day. Builders often start high because they know many subbies sign without questioning it. Start lower than you would accept, give a reason, and meet below the middle.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/atnP3-nyxY82026-10-09T06:02:24.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/keen-to-screw-down-subbies-again-what-a-builder-said-in-my-interview2026-10-08T06:02:54.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w4QOI5kyfD8/maxresdefault.jpgShould I send notice of delay to a builder even if they tell me not to?Yes. Mat says a subbie doesn't have to put in a notice of delay, but in reality it's best to, because that is how you protect yourself. If a builder ever tells you not to, they are asking you, in disguise, to throw away your entitlement and your leverage. Mat saw this while working as a Contracts Administrator for a Brisbane builder, where a subbie kept lodging delay notices because they knew their rights. He says two things save you in a dispute: someone on the builder side who cares enough to help you get paid, and a strong paper trail. Only the paper trail is in your control, because that person on the other side of the table very rarely exists.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/w4QOI5kyfD82026-10-08T06:02:54.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/why-i-built-free-software-for-subbies-instead-of-just-consulting2026-10-07T06:03:09.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bNpNbmRVCCs/maxresdefault.jpgWhy is Mat Kennedy building free software for subbies instead of only consulting?Mat built the Subcontract Risk Scanner and Adjudicate Pro because helping subbies one at a time could not change the industry. He started out expecting to work on live disputes and contract reviews himself, possibly for a long time. He quickly realised the industry squeezes subbies in broad daylight, and that someone needed to build tools that serve all subbies across Australia at once. His view is that this lifts the industry norm and standard to a position that protects subbies better. He says it is still early days, and his main focus is commercial work. He plans to expand into residential, civil and other areas in due course, and he already touches on industrial.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/bNpNbmRVCCs2026-10-07T06:03:09.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/how-i-screwed-a-painting-subbie-down-13k-with-one-phone-call2026-10-03T06:02:13.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5_giQSGLVuI/maxresdefault.jpgHow do I know if a builder is lying about another subbie's price?You usually can't check it, so treat a phone call like that with caution. In the video, Mat describes how, as a builder side contract administrator, he rang a painting subbie and said his price was too high and asked if he could meet around 60k. The subbie came back at 63k, down from a quote of about 75 to 76k, and Mat saved the builder around 13 grand. He says project managers may lie about the budget or claim another subbie is cheaper. A personal call often means you are the front runner and they want your best price. A generic best and final offer email probably went to every subbie quoting.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/5_giQSGLVuI2026-10-03T06:02:13.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/the-stat-dec-leverage-point-most-subbies-never-use2026-10-02T06:02:13.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kD8uL7N92Ng/maxresdefault.jpgCan I use a builder's false statutory declaration as leverage in a payment dispute?Possibly, in a highly escalated dispute. Builders often sign a statutory declaration with a payment claim to warrant that they have paid everyone beneath them, so their client isn't left liable. Mat says many sign it without checking, even when it isn't true. If a builder signed it without paying all their subcontractors, they may have committed a crime, which could mean fines, penalties or jail time, and risk to their business and licence. Mat says not to use it as a threat. Instead, point out the builder may want to make the problem go away by paying you. Keep it for big disputes where lawyers are involved. He adds that he still has more to learn on the topic.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/kD8uL7N92Ng2026-10-02T06:02:13.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/the-pm-the-cleaner-and-the-day-with-no-water-how-builders-screw2026-10-01T06:02:20.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZHIAx8KXsZM/maxresdefault.jpgCan a builder refuse to pay a subbie when the builder's mistake wasted their day?In Mat's view, yes the builder should pay, but in practice many project managers refuse and push the subbie to cop the cost. In his example, a Brisbane cleaner drove to a Gold Coast job for the handover clean, and there was no water on site. The builder had failed to arrange it, so the cleaner lost a full day and could not clean. The cleaner asked to be compensated. The project manager said no, told him to come back the next day and offered only the normal price. Mat says the builder should have been liable. His advice is to know what you are up against, and to ask the builder for access and anything else you need before you turn up.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ZHIAx8KXsZM2026-10-01T06:02:20.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/why-i-left-the-builder-side-to-fight-for-subbies2026-09-30T06:02:30.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mKHebtHMIZI/maxresdefault.jpgWhy would someone leave the builder side to help subcontractors get paid?Mat Kennedy left the builder side because staying would have meant squeezing subbies, and that would not have been fulfilling. He says it is easy to push subbies around when the builder holds the leverage, because subbies have very little money, resources or lawyers to fight back. After four or five years working on both sides of the table, he wanted to help subbies get paid, stay safer and level up the balance. He also believes AI can handle much of the admin work a commercial manager or lawyer does, at a fraction of the cost and a tenth of the time, though not the judgment. He suggests subbies start with the free Subcontract Risk Scanner or Adjudicate Pro.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/mKHebtHMIZI2026-09-30T06:02:30.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/subcontract-risk-scanner-v4-from-review-to-action2026-09-29T06:02:21.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CLmI-y1AbWM/maxresdefault.jpgCan I get my subcontract reviewed for free before signing, without paying a lawyer?Yes, you can get a first review of your subcontract for free using Mat Kennedy's Subcontract Risk Scanner. You upload the document with no account needed and, within about two minutes, you get a risk report covering all the clauses assessed and the key risk items tailored to you. The V4 update also adds a negotiation pack and handover cards. It now reads printer scanned subcontracts, works on corporate networks with extra security, and accepts up to 300 pages and 50 megabytes. Mat says it was a game changer for a Brisbane civil subbie who didn't want to spend $3.5k on a lawyer. The link is in the video description.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/CLmI-y1AbWM2026-09-29T06:02:21.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/my-book-went-back-to-1-on-amazon-here-is-whats-inside2026-09-27T06:02:04.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ffl_Pz7De1I/maxresdefault.jpgWhat is in Mat Kennedy's book Screwed Down for subcontractors?Screwed Down is a plain English book for Australian subcontractors about how subcontracts push risk and cash down the chain, and how to take that power back. It is not written for lawyers. It is for trades handed a two hundred page contract on a Friday and told to sign by Monday. The book has nineteen chapters in two halves. Part one covers how you get screwed down. Part two covers how you take it back. Chapters include being the builder's bank at a zero interest rate, how to read any subcontract in ten minutes with five searches, and why silence on a payment claim can become a debt due. It is built on real Australian subcontracts and is available on Amazon in Kindle or paperback.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ffl_Pz7De1I2026-09-27T06:02:04.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/how-to-scan-a-subcontract-in-90-seconds-free-tool-every-australian2026-09-26T06:02:11.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Aed7Is8rFCc/maxresdefault.jpgHow can I quickly check a subcontract for risky clauses before I sign it?Use the free Subcontract Risk Scanner, which checks your subcontract in about ninety seconds with no account needed. Upload the conditions and special conditions as a PDF, and leave out the drawings and specs so the scan is faster and sharper. Pick the state the project is in, so the scanner applies that state's Security of Payment Act. It reads every clause, including payment terms, time bars, set off, liquidated damages, retention, termination and variations. You get an overall risk score out of ten, then each category scored against your state's Act and the Australian Subcontract Index. For each red flag it shows what the clause says, what it costs you, and the market position to ask for instead. A negotiation pack drafts your email to the builder.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Aed7Is8rFCc2026-09-26T06:02:11.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/dont-run-an-adjudication-until-youve-done-this-first2026-09-24T06:02:23.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kWTS-M9rfNY/maxresdefault.jpgShould I suspend work before running an adjudication against my builder?Yes, Mat recommends doing a statutory stand down before you run an adjudication against your builder. A statutory stand down means using the Security of Payment Act in your state to legally down tools, instead of ringing the project manager or director and saying you won't turn up to site next week unless you're paid. Doing it the legal way protects you, so it doesn't backfire and cost you delay costs or termination costs when the builder threatens you, which they will. Mat says the process is simpler than it sounds. Basically, you send one notice saying the builder hasn't paid a certain invoice, and then you are protected. He covers the exact steps in another video. This is commercial advice, not legal advice.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/kWTS-M9rfNY2026-09-24T06:02:23.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/quiet-subbies-get-paid-last-heres-why-the-loud-ones-get-paid-first2026-09-23T06:02:09.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_n2SQ8Iq9I8/maxresdefault.jpgHow do I get a builder to pay me sooner as a subcontractor?Follow up on your payment early and often, because the subbie who speaks up usually gets paid first. A builder can have 40, 50 or even 100 subcontractors under them, and they will often delay payment, whether on purpose or by accident, because they have other priorities. If you sit quietly in that queue, you wait longer. If you are the one who asks, you move up. Ask where your payment is when it has not arrived. Ask whether it will be paid by Friday when it is due. When an invoice is 14 days overdue, say you will have to run an adjudication unless it is paid. That is just commercial discipline, and it puts you ahead of the other subbies waiting in line.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/_n2SQ8Iq9I82026-09-23T06:02:09.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/we-exist-to-get-australian-subbies-paid-the-construction-contracts-co2026-09-22T06:03:02.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Dw5_YhUtkSU/maxresdefault.jpgWhat can I do if my builder is withholding money I'm owed as a subbie?If a builder is withholding money from you, whether through a payment dispute, a variation, liquidated damages or project delays, you can reach out to The Construction Contracts Co. for support. Mat Kennedy says there is almost always money tied to these problems that is being held back from the subcontractor. Over the last five years he has seen 800 subbies get screwed down, and he puts the split at about half intentional and half unintentional, whether the builder means it or not. He has seen it from the subbie side, the builder side and as a director of the company. The business exists to get Australian subcontractors paid, particularly after they have done good work. If you are in that position today, getting in touch is the first step.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Dw5_YhUtkSU2026-09-22T06:03:02.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/nt-security-of-payment-works-differently-to-everywhere-else-in2026-09-08T10:00:04.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VSQtuc1e_2M/maxresdefault.jpgHow does security of payment work in the Northern Territory for unpaid subcontractors?In the Northern Territory, you apply for adjudication under the Construction Contracts Security of Payments Act once a payment dispute arises, and it works differently to the East Coast. There is no payment claim and payment schedule exchange. A payment dispute arises when a claim under your contract is rejected or not paid by the due date. From then, either party has ninety days to apply for adjudication, which is a longer window than the East Coast but a strict one. A dispute older than ninety days is usually left to contractual remedies or court. Where your contract is silent, the Act implies provisions, including maximum payment terms. Applications go to a registered adjudicator. Check your dates against the Act before you act.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VSQtuc1e_2M2026-09-08T10:00:04.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/security-of-payment-in-the-act-and-the-border-trap-that-catches-crews2026-09-07T10:00:22.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fJ53RzWcXyM/maxresdefault.jpgHow does security of payment work in the ACT if a builder hasn't paid me?The ACT Security of Payment Act lets subcontractors chase unpaid work through a fast process instead of a long court fight. You start with a valid payment claim that identifies the work, states the amount and is served on time. The builder then has ten business days to respond with a payment schedule. If the builder stays silent, the full amount becomes payable and the builder is restricted at adjudication. Determinations typically come within ten business days of acceptance, and suspension rights can follow. The trap is that jurisdiction follows the contract, not the border, so Canberra region work can sit under the ACT Act or the New South Wales Act. Confirm which one governs before counting any deadline, and check dates against the Act.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/fJ53RzWcXyM2026-09-07T10:00:22.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/how-subcontractors-get-paid-in-tas-security-of-payment-explained2026-09-06T08:00:32.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/foWW6MXhbgI/maxresdefault.jpgHow do I get paid as a subcontractor in Tasmania under the Security of Payment Act?Subcontractors in Tasmania get paid under the Security of Payment Act by serving a valid payment claim that identifies the work, states the amount claimed and is served on time. The builder then has ten business days to respond with a payment schedule. If the builder stays silent, the full claimed amount becomes payable, and the builder is limited at adjudication. Adjudication runs through authorised nominating authorities, with determinations typically made within ten business days of acceptance. Because adjudication volumes in Tasmania are low, a well founded claim that is properly served usually moves the money before any application is filed. You also have suspension rights on notice under the Act. Deadlines are strict, so verify each one against the Act.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/foWW6MXhbgI2026-09-06T08:00:32.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/how-subcontractors-get-paid-in-sa-security-of-payment-explained2026-09-05T08:00:17.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/C-mx413w2gM/maxresdefault.jpgHow do I get paid as a subcontractor in South Australia if the builder won't pay?Use the Security of Payment Act. Serve a valid payment claim that identifies the work, states the amount claimed and is served on time, from each reference date. The builder then has fifteen business days to respond with a payment schedule, or a shorter period if the contract says so. If they miss that deadline, the full claimed amount becomes a debt due, and they cannot raise their reasons at adjudication. If they schedule less than you claimed, you can take the gap to an adjudicator through an authorised nominating authority. Determinations typically land within ten business days of acceptance. The time limits are strict and public holidays can change the dates, so check every deadline against the Act.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/C-mx413w2gM2026-09-05T08:00:17.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/how-subcontractors-get-paid-in-wa-two-acts-which-one-covers-you2026-09-04T08:00:08.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/odAsTpLcLrE/maxresdefault.jpgWhich security of payment law covers me as a subcontractor in Western Australia?It depends on when your contract was entered into. Contracts made from 1 August 2022 sit under the new Security of Payment Act, while older contracts still run under the 2004 Act, which works differently and has a ninety business day window to apply. Check your contract date first. Under the new Act, you start with a valid payment claim that identifies the work, states the amount and is served on time. The builder then has fifteen business days to respond with a payment schedule. If no schedule arrives in time, the builder is liable for the full amount and has constrained defences at adjudication. Verify every deadline against the Act before you act.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/odAsTpLcLrE2026-09-04T08:00:08.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/vic-security-of-payment-changed-in-april-most-subbies-missed-it2026-09-03T08:00:30.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IHryMeNq8zk/maxresdefault.jpgDid the Victorian Security of Payment Act change in 2026 and what does it mean for me?Yes. The Victorian Security of Payment Act was reformed from 15 April 2026, so anything you learned before then may be out of date. The old excluded amounts regime is gone, which means damages and disputed variations can now generally be pursued at adjudication. Reference dates are gone too, so your entitlement to progress claims runs on the Act's own timing. To use the Act, serve a valid payment claim that identifies the work, states the amount and goes out on time. The builder then has ten business days to respond with a payment schedule. If they stay silent, the claimed amount becomes payable and the builder is constrained at adjudication. Adjudication runs through private nominating authorities, and practice is still settling, so verify the mechanics before you file.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/IHryMeNq8zk2026-09-03T08:00:30.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/how-subcontractors-get-paid-in-nsw-security-of-payment-explained2026-09-02T08:00:11.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nkNgRDC6mvk/maxresdefault.jpgHow do subcontractors get paid in NSW under the Security of Payment Act?Subcontractors in NSW get paid by using the Security of Payment Act, a law built for cash flow. Start by serving a valid payment claim that identifies the work, states the amount and is served on time. The builder then has ten business days to respond with a payment schedule. If they stay silent, the full claimed amount becomes a debt due and they lose their defences at adjudication. Head contractors must pay subcontractors within twenty business days of the claim, whatever the contract says. If your claim is disputed, adjudication typically runs ten business days from the schedule, so diarise it straight away. If you are not paid by the due date, you can lawfully suspend work on two business days notice. Verify every deadline against the Act.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/nkNgRDC6mvk2026-09-02T08:00:11.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/how-subcontractors-get-paid-in-qld-security-of-payment-explained2026-09-01T08:00:08.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/o0pk5fROAvc/maxresdefault.jpgHow do subcontractors get paid when the builder won't pay in Queensland?Subcontractors in Queensland get paid by using the security of payment laws in the Building Industry Fairness Act. You start with a valid payment claim that identifies the work, states the amount claimed and is served on time. The builder then has fifteen business days to reply with a payment schedule, or a shorter period if the contract says so. If the builder stays silent, they become liable for the full claimed amount and cannot raise reasons at adjudication. Adjudication goes through the QBCC registry. An adjudicated amount is a debt due, which allows you to suspend work and seek judgment. The windows are strict, so check every deadline against the Act before you act.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/o0pk5fROAvc2026-09-01T08:00:08.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/adjudication-the-legal-process-built-to-get-subcontractors-paid-most2026-08-31T08:00:12.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZawxvooQHk8/maxresdefault.jpgHow does adjudication work to get a subcontractor paid in Australia?Adjudication is a fast process under security of payment law, in every Australian state and territory, that gets an unpaid claim decided in weeks instead of years. It is not court and you don't need a lawyer. You serve a valid payment claim on time to the right party. If the builder schedules less than you claimed, you can take the gap to an adjudicator, and in some states you have ten business days from receiving the schedule. The adjudicator usually decides within ten business days of accepting, on the documents. The decision is binding for now, so the builder pays, or you can lawfully suspend work and enforce it as a debt. Your records win it.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ZawxvooQHk82026-08-31T08:00:12.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/this-subcontractor-owed-126000-for-a-delay-that-wasnt-theirs2026-08-30T08:00:24.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sHcTI0O7lMM/maxresdefault.jpgCan a subcontractor be charged liquidated damages for a delay the builder caused?Yes, it can happen if the subcontract has an uncapped liquidated damages clause and a strict time bar on extension of time claims, and you miss the notice window. In this composite story, the builder's design changes delayed the job nine weeks. The subbie gave written notice twice, both outside the five business day limit. The right to an extension ceased to exist, so completion was late on paper and liquidated damages of $2,000 a day ran for 63 days, totalling $126,000. A cap on the damages and a notice period drafted as a requirement, not a bar, would have helped. So would written notice on the day the delay started.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/sHcTI0O7lMM2026-08-30T08:00:24.000ZyesMat Kennedy https://review.theconstructioncontracts.co/videos/the-5-subcontract-clauses-id-never-sign-unamended-55-contracts2026-08-29T08:00:04.000Zyearly0.5https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VEKecuT4iDg/maxresdefault.jpgWhich subcontract clauses should a subbie negotiate before signing?Subbies should push back on five clauses before signing: termination for convenience, set-off without notice, an endless defects period, uncapped liquidated damages and the absolute time bar. For termination, ask for an exit account that pays for work done, materials ordered and demobilisation. For set-off, ask for written notice before any deduction, limited to this contract only. Cap the defects period at your own completion with a fixed outside date. Ask for liquidated damages capped at five to ten per cent of the contract sum. For the time bar, ask for ten business days and make notice a requirement, not a bar. Mat Kennedy analysed 55 contracts and says all five clauses are negotiable before signature, but almost none are after. Give written notice the day anything changes.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VEKecuT4iDg2026-08-29T08:00:04.000ZyesMat Kennedy