How to Serve a Payment Claim in Queensland — 2026 Step-by-Step Guide

Serving a Payment Claim in Queensland — The Rules

Queensland operates under the Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 (the BIF Act). If you’re a subcontractor in Queensland who is owed money for construction work, here is exactly what you need to do to serve a valid payment claim.

Step 1: Identify Your Reference Date

In Queensland, your right to serve a payment claim arises from a reference date. Under the BIF Act, the reference date is typically the last day of the month in which construction work was carried out, or another date specified in your contract.

You can only serve one payment claim per reference date. If you miss a reference date, wait for the next one at the end of the following month.

Step 2: Prepare Your Payment Claim

A valid payment claim in QLD must:

• Identify the construction work or goods and services to which it relates
• State the amount claimed
• Include the statutory statement: “This is a payment claim made under the Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017.”
• Be in writing

The statutory statement is critical. Without it, your claim is not a valid payment claim under the Act and you lose all the protections the Act provides.

Step 3: Serve the Payment Claim

Service must be made to the respondent — typically the head contractor or principal. Acceptable methods of service include:

• Email to an email address the respondent has provided for service of documents
• Registered post to the respondent’s registered address
• Personal delivery to the respondent or their authorised representative

Keep proof of service. Email with read receipt or registered post are the safest options.

Step 4: The Response Window Starts

Once the payment claim is received, the respondent has 10 business days to serve a payment schedule. The payment schedule must:

• Identify the payment claim it relates to
• State the scheduled payment amount
• Explain the reasons for any withholding

Step 5: If There’s No Response

If the respondent fails to serve a payment schedule within 10 business days, the full claimed amount becomes a debt due and payable. You can then:

• Apply for adjudication with the QBCC
• Recover the amount as a debt in court

In practice, many head contractors pay as soon as they receive a valid payment claim — because they know what happens if they don’t respond.

Key QLD Deadlines

Event	Timeframe
Payment claim served	On or after reference date
Payment schedule due	Within 10 business days of receiving claim
Adjudication application	Within 20 business days of end of payment schedule period
Adjudication determination	Within 10 business days of response

Let PayClaim Do It For You

PayClaim automatically generates a BIF Act-compliant payment claim, identifies your correct reference date, and serves it on your head contractor — all for just $79 depending on your claim amount. The 10-business-day countdown starts the moment your claim is delivered.