Contracts & Disputes
JBCC, GCC and plain small-works contracts, variations, defects, liens, adjudication and court routes.
6 guides in this section
Essential Reading
The Builder's Lien: Your Strongest Self-Help Remedy
A builder's lien lets you hold the site until you are paid. The two types, how to perfect possession, lien-waiver clauses to watch, and spoliation orders.
Adjudication, Mediation and Arbitration for Construction Disputes
SA has no statutory adjudication. Your rights live in the contract: JBCC clause 30, NEC W1 and W2, and courts that enforce determinations. Pay now, argue later.
Defects, Snag Lists and Warranties
Your defect liability in SA: the CPA 6-month warranty, the NHBRC 3-month, 1-year and 5-year cover for new homes, and the 2024 Act that is not yet in force.
Variations, Claims and Extension of Time
Verbal instructions are worthless on JBCC and NEC contracts. How to get variations in writing, the notice time bars, and the records that win EOT claims.
Penalties, Late-Completion Damages and Performance Guarantees
How late-completion penalties work under JBCC, when an extension of time saves you, and how performance and retention guarantees work for small contractors.
When the Main Contractor Goes Under: Business Rescue and Liquidation
Business rescue vs liquidation, what a subbie can realistically recover, why you must perfect your lien immediately, and how to prove a claim in liquidation.