Learn how payment claims work in Victoria 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: No later than the day before the latest of the contractual date, 6 months after practical completion of all the work, or 6 months after all related goods and services were supplied (section 14C).
The respondent has 10 business days after the payment claim is served, or the period in the contract, whichever expires earlier (section 15).
If no payment schedule is served in time, the respondent becomes liable to pay the claimed amount on the due date (section 15), recoverable as a debt without a cross-claim or contract defence.
10 business days after receiving a payment schedule, or 10 business days after the due date where a scheduled amount goes unpaid (section 18). The application is made to an authorised nominating authority authorised by the Victorian Building Authority.
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.
Victoria was substantially reformed with effect from 15 April 2026. The excluded amount and claimable variation regime, and adjudication review, have been repealed, and performance security claims and notice-based time bar provisions added. Guidance written before April 2026 is out of date. The amendments do not apply to a payment claim served before that date.
Statutory references on this page were checked against the consolidated Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (VIC) on the official Victoria 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.
PayClaim prepares and serves formal Security of Payment claims in Victoria under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic) — for a flat $69.
Start Your $69 Claim →Victoria is covered by the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic). Like every Australian state and territory, Victoria has its own Security of Payment legislation giving contractors, subcontractors and suppliers a statutory right to recover money owed for construction work — without first going to court.
Whatever your trade — electrician, plumber, concreter, carpenter, roofer, painter, tiler, scaffolder, formworker, earthmover or supplier — if you’ve performed construction work in Victoria and you’ve issued an invoice that hasn’t been paid, the Victorian SOP Act is the legal lever built for your situation.
You don’t need to know the legislation to use PayClaim — you just need a few details about the job and the unpaid invoice:
For a flat $69, PayClaim:
Response deadlines depend on the state, the contract and the type of claim — PayClaim calculates the relevant deadline from the information you provide so you don’t have to.
Once served, the respondent has a statutory window under the Victorian SOP Act to either pay the claimed amount or formally respond setting out what they’re paying and what (if anything) they’re withholding. If they pay in full, you’re done. If they don’t respond, the unpaid amount may become a statutory debt enforceable through the courts. If they dispute the claim, you have the option to apply to an authorised nominating authority for adjudication — a fast, lower-cost alternative to court.
PayClaim is built for the prepare-and-serve step. For complex disputes, adjudication strategy, court enforcement or insolvency-related matters, you should seek advice from a qualified construction lawyer in Victoria.
Security of Payment gives you a fast, statutory path to be paid for construction work — separate from, and quicker than, court. Under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic) the process runs like this:
Victoria’s scheme has features the other states do not — including specific limits on claiming certain variations and excluded amounts — so the details of your claim matter. PayClaim accounts for the Victorian rules when preparing your claim. Victoria’s Security of Payment laws are being reformed, with major changes due to commence on 15 April 2026; PayClaim keeps its claims current as those changes take effect.
Adjudication is the engine of the Security of Payment scheme: a rapid, independent determination of how much you are owed, made by a registered adjudicator rather than a judge. In Victoria an adjudication application is lodged with an authorised nominating authority (ANA), which refers it to a registered adjudicator. The determination is binding and enforceable, typically costs a fraction of litigation, and is decided in weeks rather than months. Our adjudicators guide sets out the Victorian 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.
You serve a payment claim for the construction work you are owed. The respondent pays, or serves a payment schedule within 10 business days setting out what they dispute. If they do not respond in time, the amount can become payable and you can apply for adjudication — a fast, independent decision that can be enforced.
Under the Victorian SOP Act, the respondent generally has 10 business days (or the shorter period in your contract) to serve a payment schedule. PayClaim calculates the exact deadline for your claim from the details you provide. This is general information, not legal advice.
No lawyer is needed to prepare and serve a payment claim. PayClaim prepares and serves a compliant Victorian payment claim for a flat $69. For a disputed adjudication or court enforcement, a construction lawyer is worth engaging. PayClaim is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
PayClaim covers every Australian state and territory — see the guide for your jurisdiction: NSW · QLD · WA · SA · TAS · ACT · NT.
Flat $69. Preparation, electronic service and proof of service included.
Start Your $69 ClaimEnter 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.