Getting Paid
Quotes, deposits, invoices, retention, chasing money and what to do when a contractor will not pay. SA has no Security of Payment Act, so the contract is everything.
5 guides in this section
Getting Paid as a Subcontractor: No Security of Payment Act
South Africa has no Security of Payment Act, so the contract is everything. How JBCC, NEC and GCC payment works, pay-when-paid risk, and the escalation ladder.
Chasing Unpaid Invoices: Letter of Demand to Court
Step by step from letter of demand to Small Claims Court (R20,000 limit) and the Magistrates' Court, plus the 3-year prescription trap and prescribed interest.
Quotes, Deposits and the Consumer Protection Act
When the Consumer Protection Act applies to your building work: what a quote must contain, deposit norms, cooling-off rights and the 6-month implied warranty.
Retention Money: How It Works and How to Get It Back
Retention is usually 5% of every payment and is at risk if the payer goes under. When it must be released, retention guarantees, and how to chase what is due.
Securing Payment Before You Start Work
Payment guarantees, cession of book debts, retention of title and direct payment agreements: the tools that secure your money before work starts in SA.