Knowledge Base

Security of Payment Guides for Australian Tradies

Plain-English guides for unpaid construction invoices, Security of Payment claims, state rules and trade-specific payment issues.

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Browse guides by topic

State Guides

Find Security of Payment information for QLD, NSW, VIC, WA, SA, TAS, ACT and NT.

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Trade Guides

Guides for electricians, plumbers, concreters, carpenters, roofers, painters, tilers and more.

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Payment Claim Help

Learn how payment claims work, what evidence you need and when to take formal action.

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Latest Security of Payment guides

SOP ACT GUIDE
How to Collect an Unpaid Construction Invoice Fast in Australia
PayClaim
SOP Act Guide

How to Collect an Unpaid Construction Invoice Fast in Australia

Unpaid invoices cripple cash flow. Here's how to chase payment quickly using Australia's Security of Payment laws.

4 min read · 03 Oct 2026 Read guide →
SOP ACT GUIDE
Principal Contractor Withholding Payment: Your SOP Act Options
PayClaim
SOP Act Guide

Principal Contractor Withholding Payment: Your SOP Act Options

When a head contractor withholds your payment, you have legal rights under Australia's Security of Payment legislation. Here's what you can do.

5 min read · 26 Sep 2026 Read guide →
SOP ACT GUIDE
When the Developer Won’t Pay the Builder – and the Debt Rolls Downhill to You
PayClaim
SOP Act Guide

When the Developer Won’t Pay the Builder – and the Debt Rolls Downhill to You

Construction payment chains break all the time. Here's what to do when you're owed money and the person above you has stopped paying.

5 min read · 19 Sep 2026 Read guide →
SOP ACT GUIDE
Head Contractor Not Paying Your Subcontract? Use the Security of Payment Act
PayClaim
SOP Act Guide

Head Contractor Not Paying Your Subcontract? Use the Security of Payment Act

When a head contractor owes you money, the Security of Payment Act gives you a fast legal path to action. Here's how it works.

4 min read · 12 Sep 2026 Read guide →
SOP ACT GUIDE
Builder Won’t Pay? The Exact Steps to Recover Your Money
PayClaim
SOP Act Guide

Builder Won’t Pay? The Exact Steps to Recover Your Money

Owed money by a builder or head contractor? Here's how to use Australia's Security of Payment laws to force action and recover what you're due.

5 min read · 05 Sep 2026 Read guide →
DEBT RECOVERY
PayClaim now speaks your language: recover unpaid invoices in any language
PayClaim
Debt Recovery

PayClaim now speaks your language: recover unpaid invoices in any language

Describe an unpaid debt in your own language — English, 中文, हिन्दी, Español, العربية and more — and get a professional Letter of Demand in clear Australian English.

2 min read · 04 Sep 2026 Read guide →
DEBT RECOVERY
What Debt Collectors Charge Tradies and the $69 Alternative
PayClaim
Debt Recovery

What Debt Collectors Charge Tradies and the $69 Alternative

Debt collectors take 20–50% of what you're owed. Learn how Australia's Security of Payment laws offer a faster, cheaper path to unpaid invoices.

4 min read · 29 Aug 2026 Read guide →
DEBT RECOVERY
Commercial Debt Collection for Builders and Subcontractors Explained
PayClaim
Debt Recovery

Commercial Debt Collection for Builders and Subcontractors Explained

How to recover unpaid invoices in construction. Understand your legal rights under Australia's Security of Payment laws and when to escalate.

5 min read · 22 Aug 2026 Read guide →
DEBT RECOVERY
Construction Debt Collection Without a Debt Collector: The SOP Act Route
PayClaim
Debt Recovery

Construction Debt Collection Without a Debt Collector: The SOP Act Route

Owed money on a job? The Security of Payment Act lets you bypass debt collectors and claim fast. Here's how it works.

4 min read · 15 Aug 2026 Read guide →
QUEENSLAND
Queensland BIF Act 2017: How Tradies Actually Use It
PayClaim
Queensland

Queensland BIF Act 2017: How Tradies Actually Use It

Queensland's Building Industry Fairness Act gives subcontractors a legal pathway to recover unpaid invoices. Here's how it actually works on site.

5 min read · 05 Aug 2026 Read guide →

Security of Payment guides by state

QLD Queensland NSW New South Wales VIC Victoria WA Western Australia SA South Australia TAS Tasmania ACT ACT NT Northern Territory

Payment claim guides by trade

Electricians → Plumbers → Concreters → Carpenters → Roofers → Painters → Tilers → Plasterers → Landscapers → Bricklayers → Scaffolders → Glaziers →

Before debt collection

PayClaim is not a debt collection agency. For unpaid construction invoices, PayClaim may help you take a formal first step by preparing and serving Security of Payment claim documents.

Debt collection alternative for contractors→ Debt collection alternative for builders→

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