Security of Payment Act Adjudication
Fast, low-cost decisions on payment disputes
Adjudication is the fast-track way to resolve a payment dispute under the Security of Payment Act. You don’t go to court and you don’t need lawyers. Both sides put in written submissions and evidence, and an independent adjudicator decides:
- how much you’re owed;
- when it’s due; and
- whether interest is payable.
Most applications are decided within a few weeks.
SECURITY OF PAYMENT Services prepares, lodges and serves adjudication applications for contractors, subcontractors, consultants and suppliers across Australia, for claims from $5,000 to over $50 million. We have a 98% success rate.
What adjudication is
To adjudicate is to settle a dispute judicially. An adjudicator can only decide your claim if the Act applies, so there must be a construction contract (written or verbal) for work or supplies covered by your state’s Act. That’s why every application starts by showing the adjudicator has jurisdiction. Only then does it argue the value of the claim.
When you can apply
You can generally apply for adjudication if you’ve served a valid payment claim and:
- the respondent’s payment schedule offers less than you claimed;
- the respondent hasn’t paid the amount in their own payment schedule by the due date; or
- no payment schedule was given and the claim wasn’t paid by the due date. In most states, you first have to serve a notice giving them a last chance to respond. Queensland and the NT have no notice step.
The time limits are short, often only 10 business days, and they differ from state to state. Miss one and you can lose your right to adjudicate that claim.
Before you apply: checklist
- A construction contract exists, written or verbal
- Your payment claim was served on time and in the correct form
- You’ve received a payment schedule you dispute, or the due date has passed without one (and, where required, you’ve served the notice)
- You’re still within the time limit to apply
Can’t tick every box? Contact us. We’ll help you get to the point where you can apply.
How the process works
- Application: we prepare your written submissions and evidence and lodge them with an authorised nominating authority (or the QBCC Registry in Queensland).
- Service: we serve a copy of the application on the respondent.
- Response: if the respondent gave a payment schedule, they can lodge a response. If they didn’t, in most states they can’t put a defence.
- Determination: the adjudicator decides the amount, the due date and any interest.
- Payment: the respondent usually has 5 business days to pay.
- Enforcement: if they don’t pay, we obtain an adjudication certificate, file it as a court judgment and enforce it.
Exact deadlines depend on your state. See NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT and NT.
Why the quality of the application matters
Most of an adjudication is decided on the written submission and the evidence behind it. We know what adjudicators look for, and every application we lodge includes the contract, the claim, the schedule (if any), and strong evidence for every item claimed.
Two real cases: why timing matters
Civil works contractor: came to us as soon as their builder, working on a state government project, went outside agreed trading terms. We applied for adjudication straight away and served a payment withholding request on the government principal. The determination was for the full amount, and the money was recovered directly from the principal.
Piling contractor: worked for the same builder but waited. By the time the determination came through for 100% of the claim, the builder had gone into external administration, and the money couldn’t be recovered.
Don’t wait. The sooner you act, the better your chance of being paid.
Fees
Adjudication applications start from $840 + GST. See Our fees.
Need help?
Call or contact us and we’ll tell you where you stand.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Time limits depend on your state’s Act and your contract. Last reviewed October 2026.