How PayClaim Helped a Concreter Recover $45,000 in 10 Days

This is the story of how Mark, a concreter from Brisbane, used PayClaim to recover $45,000 in unpaid invoices from a head contractor — in just 10 business days. Names have been changed to protect client privacy.

The Situation

Mark runs a small concreting business on Brisbane’s north side. He’d been working for the same head contractor for two years without any payment problems. Then, on a large residential subdivision project in the Moreton Bay region, things went wrong.

Mark had completed Stage 3 of the slab work — 14 individual dwelling slabs across three weeks of hard work. His invoice: $45,200. The head contractor acknowledged receiving it, then went quiet. Two weeks passed. Then four. Mark called, emailed, dropped in at the head contractor’s office. Each time, he was told “the developer hasn’t released the funds yet” and “we’ll get to it next week.”

Six weeks after submitting his invoice, Mark had received nothing. He was owed $45,200 and had staff wages, equipment finance, and concrete supplier bills to cover. He found PayClaim online and contacted us the same afternoon.

What PayClaim Did

PayClaim assessed Mark’s situation within two hours of his initial contact. We confirmed:

• Mark had a valid contract for construction work in Queensland
• The work was complete and had passed council inspection
• The reference date had passed — he was fully entitled to the payment
• The head contractor’s “pay when paid” excuse was unenforceable under the QLD BIF Act

We prepared a formal payment claim under the Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 the next morning. The claim clearly identified the Stage 3 slab work, stated the amount of $45,200, and included the mandatory BIF Act statement.

The payment claim was served on the head contractor by email (with read receipt) and registered post to their registered business address — two methods to ensure valid service was beyond dispute.

The Head Contractor’s Response

Five days after receiving the payment claim, the head contractor’s lawyer called PayClaim. They wanted to discuss the claim and indicated the head contractor was “working on payment.” We advised them that the BIF Act clock was running — they had 15 business days from service to issue a payment schedule, and that time was passing.

On day 8, the head contractor issued a payment schedule… accepting the full $45,200. No dispute, no deductions. They committed to payment within 5 business days.

On day 10 from the date the payment claim was served, Mark received $45,200 in his bank account.

What Made the Difference

Mark’s experience reflects a pattern PayClaim sees regularly: head contractors who ignore informal invoice requests often respond quickly to formal SOP payment claims. The reason is simple — the legal consequences of not responding are severe. A head contractor who fails to issue a payment schedule within 15 business days under the QLD BIF Act loses their right to dispute the claim in adjudication. That’s a powerful incentive to pay.

Mark’s Takeaway

“I should have done this six weeks earlier,” Mark told us after receiving payment. “I wasted all that time making phone calls and sending emails when I could have just served the payment claim from day one. PayClaim made the whole thing painless.”

Could This Work for You?

If you’re a subcontractor with an unpaid invoice — whether it’s $5,000 or $500,000 — PayClaim can assess your situation and prepare your payment claim fast. Flat fee, no lawyers, most claims resolved within 10–20 business days. Start your free claim today.