Built to get subcontractors paid in weeks, not years. The four steps, the strict windows, and why it's won on paperwork months before the dispute exists.

A composite story: two ordinary clauses, nine weeks of someone else's delay, and an entitlement that ceased to exist. The contract didn't care who caused the delay - it cared who sent an email by Thursday.

From 55 real Australian subcontracts: termination for convenience (90%), set-off without notice (98%), never-ending defects periods, uncapped LDs (83%) and the absolute time bar (100%).

The three clauses working against you the moment work changes, and the 90-second email that saves the claim.

How retention actually works, when it comes back, the release triggers that hold it hostage, and what the market-normal 5% cap looks like against real contracts.

The payment claim is not an invoice - it is a formal claim the builder must answer on a statutory clock. The timeline, the three forks, and why silence is the strongest position a subbie can hold.