Learn how payment claims work in Queensland and how PayClaim helps prepare and serve unpaid construction invoice claims for a fixed $69.
Security of Payment laws are designed to help contractors and subcontractors claim payment for construction work without waiting months for unpaid invoices to be resolved. The process and deadlines vary by state, so it is important to use the correct rules for where the work was completed.
PayClaim helps make the process easier by collecting the key information, preparing the claim documents and serving them electronically based on the details you provide.
Eligibility depends on the work, contract, location and circumstances. For complex matters, seek legal advice.
You must serve it in time: The later of the period in the contract or 6 months after the work was last carried out (section 75). Final payment claims have their own longer windows.
The respondent has 15 business days after the payment claim is given, or the period in the contract, whichever ends first (section 76).
If no payment schedule is given in time, the respondent becomes liable to pay the full claimed amount on the due date (section 77). Failing to give a schedule also carries a penalty and can lead to Queensland Building and Construction Commission disciplinary action.
30 business days after receiving a payment schedule, or 20 business days after the due date where a scheduled amount goes unpaid (section 79). The application is made to the Adjudication Registrar at the Adjudication Registry, within the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.
Keep copies of invoices, evidence, service records and correspondence. Proof of when and how the claim was served is what the timeframes above run from.
Queensland still uses reference dates, and only one payment claim may be made for each reference date. Chapter 3 does not apply where a resident owner is a party to a domestic building contract. A claim above $750,000 is a complex payment claim and runs to different timing.
Statutory references on this page were checked against the consolidated Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 (QLD) on the official Queensland legislation website in July 2026. Timeframes interact with your contract and with the statutory due date for payment, so check your own contract. This is general information, not legal advice.
If you’re a subcontractor, tradie, or supplier working on construction projects in Queensland, you have powerful legal rights to get paid — fast. The Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 (QLD), commonly known as the BIF Act, gives you a clear legal pathway to recover unpaid invoices without going to court.
The BIF Act replaced the older Building and Construction Industry Payments Act 2004 and strengthened protections for everyone in the construction supply chain. It applies to contracts for construction work or related goods and services carried out in Queensland — whether you’re a builder, concreter, plumber, electrician, roofer, or any other trade.
The Act covers subcontractors, suppliers, consultants, and anyone else providing construction work or related services under a contract. If money is owed to you under a construction contract, the BIF Act is your tool to get it.
Understanding the timeframes is critical. Miss a deadline and you could lose your right to claim.
There is no upper dollar limit on claims under the QLD BIF Act — whether you’re owed $5,000 or $5 million, you can use this process.
If a payment schedule isn’t provided and the amount isn’t paid, you can apply for adjudication or seek judgment in court for the unpaid amount. You focus on your trade — PayClaim prepares and serves the payment claim that starts this process.
Queensland’s construction industry is booming, but payment disputes are a daily reality for subcontractors. Whether a head contractor is delaying payment, disputing variations, or simply ignoring your invoices, the BIF Act gives you real power — and PayClaim makes sure you use it.
Start your claim today. Getting your preview costs nothing, and once your claim is served the BIF Act sets fast, strict statutory deadlines for the other side to respond.
The BIF Act gives you a fast, statutory path to be paid for construction work — separate from, and quicker than, court. In Queensland the process runs like this:
Adjudication is the engine of the Security of Payment scheme: a rapid, independent decision on how much you are owed, made by a registered adjudicator rather than a judge. Queensland is different from the eastern states — adjudication is administered by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC), and an adjudicator is appointed by the QBCC’s Adjudication Registrar, so you do not choose a private nominating authority. If you receive a payment schedule that disputes your claim (or no schedule at all), you generally have up to 30 business days to lodge an adjudication application; the adjudicator usually decides within about 10 business days. Our adjudicators guide sets out the pathway. PayClaim prepares and serves the payment claim that starts this process; running the adjudication itself, or any court enforcement, is a separate step you take yourself or with a construction lawyer.
Under the BIF Act, the respondent has 15 business days (or the shorter period in your contract) to serve a payment schedule. If they do not, the full claimed amount becomes payable. This is general information, not legal advice.
You lodge an adjudication application with the QBCC, which appoints a registered adjudicator through its Adjudication Registrar. You generally have up to 30 business days from the payment schedule (or from when payment was due) to apply.
No. The scheme is built so contractors and subcontractors can use it without a lawyer. PayClaim prepares and serves a compliant payment claim for a flat $69. For a complex dispute, adjudication strategy or court enforcement, a construction lawyer is worth engaging.
PayClaim covers every Australian state and territory — see the guide for your jurisdiction: NSW · VIC · WA · SA · TAS · ACT · NT.
Enter who owes you money, the amount unpaid, the work completed and the project location.
Add invoices, quotes, contracts, messages, photos and supporting documents.
PayClaim prepares the payment claim documents based on the information provided.
PayClaim electronically serves the claim and gives you a record of what was sent.
If the other party does not pay, they may respond, dispute the claim or ignore it. Your next options depend on the state, the contract, the amount claimed and the circumstances.
Some respondents pay once a formal claim is served.
They may reply, including with a payment schedule stating what they propose to pay.
You can consider adjudication, legal advice or other options.
If the deadline passes with no response, you may have further options depending on your state.
PayClaim does not provide legal advice, adjudication representation or court enforcement.
Start your claim, upload your evidence and only pay $69 when you're ready for PayClaim to prepare and serve it.