Money & contracts
Variations, allowances, progress payments, and getting decisions in writing.
Building contracts in Australia
Australian residential building contracts explained — mandatory protections by state, HIA vs Master Builders, and what to check before you sign.
Verbal agreements with your builder
Verbal agreements with your builder can be legally binding — and almost impossible to prove. Here's why on-site promises evaporate, and the simple habit that protects you.
Building contracts (ACT)
What to know before signing a building contract in the ACT — no cooling-off period, no deposit cap, MBFF insurance limits, and why written contracts and legal review matter more here.
Negotiate your building contract
What's genuinely negotiable in an Australian building contract, what almost never shifts, how to make the ask without costing yourself the builder, and when to involve a lawyer.
Building contracts (NSW)
Cooling-off, HBC insurance, deposit limits and red-flag clauses under the Home Building Act — before you sign in NSW.
Building contracts (NT)
What the Building Act 1993 requires in the Northern Territory — 5% deposit cap, regulated progress payments, consumer guarantees, and what to check before you sign.
Progress payments explained
Progress payments release tens of thousands of dollars at a time. Here's how the standard six-stage schedule works, the NSW rule most builders don't advertise, and the red flags that mean you should pause before paying.
Building contracts (QLD)
What QBCC-regulated contracts require in Queensland — deposit caps, written variations before work starts, home warranty insurance, and what to check before you sign.
Building contracts (SA)
What the Building Work Contractors Act 1995 requires in SA — mandatory contract inclusions, the 5-year warranty limit, deposit rules, and what to check before you sign.
Building contracts (TAS)
What the Residential Building Work Contracts Act 2016 requires in Tasmania — deposit caps, cooling-off, mandatory contents, progress payment rules, and what to check before you sign.
HIA building contract explained
Variations, extensions of time, deposits and practical completion — what's fair, what's risky, and what to negotiate before you sign.
Master Builders contract explained
What the Master Builders residential contract covers, how it compares to the HIA form, and the clauses homeowners should understand before signing.
Building contracts (VIC)
What Victoria's Domestic Building Contracts Act requires — deposit caps, cooling-off, prime cost rules, price variation limits, and what to check before you sign.
Building contracts (WA)
What the Home Building Contracts Act 1991 requires in WA — deposit caps, cooling-off, price variation limits, home indemnity insurance, and clauses to watch.