Major or minor defect? Getting the classification right in NSW
The statutory warranties apply to every residential build, but the consequences of a breach turn on whether the defect is major or minor. The definition is narrow, and it decides who pays, how fast, and for how long.
12 min read
Blog
Regulation and Compliance
The rules builders work under, and how they are changing: the National Construction Code, licensing, certification, standards and enforcement, with NSW first.
Major or minor defect? Getting the classification right in NSW
The statutory warranties apply to every residential build, but the consequences of a breach turn on whether the defect is major or minor. The definition is narrow, and it decides who pays, how fast, and for how long.
12 min read
How the NSW defect liability period actually works
The defect liability period in your contract is not the same thing as the statutory warranty period that runs regardless of what the contract says. Confusing the two is how builders end up paying for work twice.
11 min read
Security of payment adjudication in NSW: how the process and timeframes actually run
Adjudication under the Security of Payment Act is a fast statutory process, not a slow dispute resolution chat. The timeframes are short and unforgiving, and the side that misses one usually loses the argument before the merits are even considered.
13 min read
Suspending work on an NSW residential job the right way
Suspending work is a contractual remedy, not a reaction. Get the notice right and you stop the clock without breaching the contract; get it wrong and you hand the other side a claim.
12 min read
When a homeowner refuses to pay: options for NSW builders
A homeowner withholding payment is a cashflow problem before it is a legal one. The order you escalate in decides how much of the debt you actually recover.
11 min read
Changes you have to tell the regulator about, and when
Your licence depends on the regulator being able to reach you and on your records matching the business you actually run. The administrative duties that quietly put a licence at risk are rarely about building work.
12 min read
How to keep up when the CPD and licensing rules change
CPD rules shift quietly. The builders who get caught are the ones who relied on a provider page or a memory of last year’s rules. Here is where the official requirements actually live, and how to check them without wasting a day.
13 min read
Cost plus or fixed price? How contract type shifts risk on a NSW residential job
The contract type decides who carries the risk of the job costing more than expected. Get that allocation wrong and the argument arrives at practical completion, when there is no room left to fix it.
15 min read
Where CPD sits among the rest of a builder licence holder’s duties
CPD is one obligation among several that sit on a licence holder, and it is the only one that is self-recorded and only checked if you are audited. A calendar that ties it to renewal, insurance and record keeping stops it being remembered only when something else goes wrong.
10 min read
Back charges and subcontractor disputes: doing it so it sticks
A back charge is only as strong as the clause you agreed and the evidence you kept. Here is how to run the process so it survives a payment dispute.
11 min read
Running CPD for a building business with several licence holders
CPD attaches to individuals, not to the company licence. Once a business has more than one contractor licence holder or qualified supervisor certificate holder, the obligation becomes an administrative system, and it has to survive staff turnover.
11 min read
When the build doesn’t match the DA: statutory modification pathways in NSW
A contract variation changes what you are paid for. A modification changes what you are legally allowed to build. Confusing the two is how a job ends up with work that no consent covers.
10 min read