Building Finishing Contractors Business Guide
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- All 18 documented pains
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All 18 Documented Cases
Payment Timing Delays Under SOPA/BIF Act
AUD 2-5% of annual contract value in working capital carry costs; estimated AUD 8,000-25,000 per AUD 500k annual contract value in lost cash flow opportunitySubcontractors in Australia submit progress claims and payment claims under SOPA (Queensland, NSW) or equivalent state legislation. Manual verification of completed work (inspections, defect checking, documentation review) delays payment schedule issuance and funds settlement. This extends the cash-to-invoice cycle and starves contractors of working capital for materials and payroll.
Unbilled Work & Lost Progress Claims
3-8% of project revenue per contract; typical AUD $5,000-$25,000 per medium projectProgress payment claims are time-bound. Manual tracking of completed work, claim documentation, and lien waiver sign-offs creates gaps where billable work is not claimed. Once a lien waiver is signed, contractors may lose payment rights for that period.
Manual Claim Processing & Administrative Bottleneck
20-40 hours per month of administrative labor (AUD $40-$60/hour = AUD $800-$2,400/month per contractor); annualized AUD $9,600-$28,800 in opportunity costEach progress claim requires compilation of supporting documents (invoices, receipts, work photos, contract schedules). Manual processes delay claim submission, increase error rates, and consume management bandwidth that could be deployed to revenue-generating activities.
WHS & Environmental Compliance Penalties – VOC/Lead Paint Violations
Fines: AUD 10,000–5,000,000+ (depending on breach severity and injury outcome). Project shutdown: AUD 5,000–50,000/day in lost revenue. Rework/remediation: AUD 20,000–200,000 per non-compliant site.Principal contractors must prepare health and safety coordination plans for projects over AUD 350,000. Contractors failing to produce compliant SWMS for high-risk tasks (including lead paint removal and VOC-generating finishing) face project shutdowns, fines, and reputational damage. Non-compliance also triggers delays and customer compensation claims.