Security of Payment Act for head contractors — what you actually need to get right

What this post will cover

1. The shape of the Act in each state. NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania, ACT, NT — same skeleton, different timeframes. The headline numbers head contractors need to memorise.
2. The four-step cycle. Claim → schedule the response → certify → pay (or adjudicate). Where the windows are statutory and where they're contractual.
3. What "approved by default" actually means. Miss the certification window and the claim is taken to be approved in full. Even the amounts the head contractor disputes. Even the ones with no substantiation.
4. The substantiation packet. What needs to be behind a payment claim for it to survive adjudication — dockets, signed variations, supplier invoices, photos, time records.
5. Common failure modes. Late certificates issued without supporting reasons. Back charges raised after the substantiation window has closed. Retention released without checking the contractual schedule. Verbal variations claimed at month-end with no paper trail.
6. How tectm handles each step. Claim received → response window timer starts → certificate generated from approved dockets + retention rules + back-charge ledger → substantiation packet exported in two clicks.

Why this matters

A payment claim is the single point in commercial construction where months of work either get paid or get argued about. Get the response wrong by a day and you owe the disputed amount. Get the substantiation wrong and the adjudicator hands the disputed amount back to the subbie anyway.

This piece is being written by the tectm team with input from contract administrators who have run claims under each state's Act. Drop your email on /waitlist if you want the full piece sent to your inbox when it lands.