Building Structure and Exterior Contractors Business Guide
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All 22 Documented Cases
Work Health and Safety Act Non-Compliance Penalties
LOGIC estimate: Australian WHS breaches under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 carry penalties up to AUD 3.3 million for corporations (serious breach) and AUD 1.65 million for category 2 breaches. High-risk construction non-compliance typically results in AUD 50,000–300,000 range fines per incident. Manual compliance verification costs: 40–80 hours per site annually for auditing anchor systems, maintenance schedules, and SWMS updates = AUD 4,000–8,000 labor cost per site.Building structure contractors face compliance gaps when transitioning to AS 5532:2025 and AS/NZS 1891.4:2025. Specific risks: (1) failure to audit installed anchor points against new manufacturing requirements; (2) lapsed equipment testing/tagging timelines; (3) SWMS/SOP documentation not reflecting updated guidance; (4) contractors on-site unaware of 2025 revision requirements. Each gap creates regulatory liability under Regulation 78-80 (WHS General Regulations 2022).
Lack of Data Visibility in Shop Drawing Approvals Leading to Compliance Misses
AUD 5,000–20,000 per project (rework coordination; dispute resolution; change order processing @ 40–80 hours × AUD 50–100/hour)Manual review processes lack real-time visibility into project context. A shop drawing may be approved by an architect without knowledge that: (a) a related design change was issued to another trade; (b) a previous coordination meeting flagged a conflict; (c) a trade contractor had raised a buildability concern that was not incorporated; or (d) a regulatory requirement changed. These gaps lead to approvals that contradict project intent, triggering disputes, rework claims, and schedule recovery costs.
Missed Extension of Time (EOT) Claim Entitlements
Estimated 5-15% of project delay costs (typically AUD 50,000-500,000 per project depending on scope). Based on typical Australian construction contracts where weather delays represent 10-20% of project duration, missed EOT claims equate to AUD 25,000-100,000+ per delay event on medium-sized projects.Contractors in NSW construction fail to preserve EOT entitlements due to missed notification deadlines (48-72 hours required by contract) and incomplete weather impact documentation. Without formal EOT claims, contractors absorb delay costs as unbilled services, lost productivity, and schedule compression expenses that should have been contractually recoverable.
Payment Processing Delays in Progress Claims
AUD 1,500-4,000 per month in foregone working capital per contractor (estimated from 15-30 day payment delay on average project values of AUD 60,000-120,000 monthly claims, at typical 10-15% cost of capital)Progress claims require formal assessment by architects or quantity surveyors before payment certification. The certification process involves reviewing documentation, site reports, and completion evidence—manual tasks that can delay payment by 2-4 weeks even though SOPA mandates payment within 5 business days of certification.