Ladders: the access method nobody plans for on a residential site
Most ladder injuries happen in the first few minutes, before the work starts, when nobody has decided whether a ladder was the right tool at all. Treat access as a planned task rather than a reflex and most of the risk disappears.
11 min read
Topic
Contracts
Articles and news about Contracts for Australian builders.
Ladders: the access method nobody plans for on a residential site
Most ladder injuries happen in the first few minutes, before the work starts, when nobody has decided whether a ladder was the right tool at all. Treat access as a planned task rather than a reflex and most of the risk disappears.
11 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
GST and BAS for building businesses: getting the mechanics right
GST on a building job is not one calculation at the end. It is a calculation attached to every progress claim, deposit, variation and retention release, and the BAS is where those calculations land. Get the timing wrong and you fund the ATO out of your own working capital.
10 min read
From finance approval to construction start: scheduling the gap
Finance approval is not a start date. It is the point at which a client’s money becomes conditionally available, and the work of turning it into a site start falls largely on you.
11 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
Managing materials price volatility in your building contracts
Materials prices can move between tender and lock-up. The contract wording and the procurement sequence decide who carries that movement — and whether it lands as a variation or as your margin.
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
Which insurance cover a building business actually needs
Most builders carry insurance because a contract demands it, not because they have matched the cover to the work they actually do. This is the cover checklist to run against your business.
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
Delays and extensions of time on NSW building contracts: running the notice and evidence process
Most delay claims are not lost on the merits. They are lost because the notice went in late, or went in without evidence that ties the delay to the critical path. Here is how to run the process so the claim survives scrutiny.
13 min read
Cyber security for builders: protecting your business data and payment details
Your quotes, contracts, payroll records and bank details are the assets a cyber criminal wants. This is how to lock them down without turning your office into an IT department.
11 min read