Not published on the firm's site. Contact the Sydney office.
Office
Level 42, 2 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Colin Biggers & Paisley is a large national commercial firm with its Sydney office at 2 Park Street. The firm says construction has been a core practice for more than 40 years, and its construction and engineering group lists nine partners, including Nick Crennan, a partner in that team since 1999. It acts for developers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants and government bodies on project documents, payment claims, adjudication and major disputes. It suits companies running big projects rather than homeowners. The site doesn't publish first consultation terms.
Also worth knowing
The firm says the team is ranked in Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 and Best Lawyers in Australia.
Lawyers
The construction page lists nine partners but not their offices. Nick Crennan is Sydney based.
Nick Crennan, Partner, Construction & Engineering (Sydney)
Greg Begaud, Partner, Construction & Engineering
Kayla Causer, Partner, Construction & Engineering
Sam Cooper, Partner, Construction & Engineering
Blake Frost, Partner, Construction & Engineering
Kerry Ioulianou, Partner, Construction & Engineering
Brad Kermond, Partner, Construction & Engineering
Julian Mellick, Partner, Construction & Engineering
James Neal, Partner, Construction & Engineering
Areas of construction law handled
Construction contract drafting and negotiation
Subcontracts and joint venture agreements
Tendering and project documentation
Payment claims and payment schedules
Security of payment adjudication
Enforcing or challenging adjudication determinations
Contract and claim administration
Building work rectification orders and regulatory matters
Not published on the firm's site. Contact the Sydney office.
Office
Level 65, 25 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Holding Redlich is a national firm with a Sydney office at 25 Martin Place. Its construction, infrastructure and projects group acts for principals, developers, contractors, consultants and subcontractors. In Sydney the team includes partner Christine Jones, who the firm says has 20 years as a construction litigator and handles home building disputes, NCAT claims and home warranty recovery, and partner Helena Golovanoff, who runs security of payment adjudications and project contract work. That mix suits owners corporations and builders as well as larger project clients. The site doesn't publish first consultation terms.
Also worth knowing
Sydney partner Helena Golovanoff acts for both claimants and respondents in NSW security of payment adjudications.
Not published on the firm's site. Contact the Sydney office.
Office
Level 18, 347 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Hall & Wilcox is a national firm with a Sydney office at 347 Kent Street. Its construction team acts for developers, builders, consultants, financiers and government on medium to large projects, with a focus on energy, social and affordable housing and large developments. Sydney partner Alex Hartmann has more than 30 years in construction law and is ranked by Chambers and Doyle's Guide, according to the firm. Sydney partner Stefan Fenk runs security of payment and project disputes. It suits commercial project clients rather than homeowners.
Also worth knowing
The firm says it represents builders in licensing proceedings.
Lawyers
The construction page lists nine partners nationally; Alex Hartmann and Stefan Fenk are Sydney based, according to the firm's own pages.
Alex Hartmann, Partner, Construction (Sydney)
Stefan Fenk, Partner, Construction (Sydney)
Areas of construction law handled
Construction contract drafting and negotiation
EPC and design and construct contracts
Contract administration advice
Security of payment claims and adjudication
Urgent injunctions
Defects and negligence claims
Delay and variation claims
Bank guarantee recovery
Builder licensing proceedings
Arbitration and expert determination
Construction litigation
Office
Level 18, 347 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Other details
Other offices
Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Newcastle and Perth
Kreisson is a Sydney firm that focuses on construction and engineering law. Lawyers Weekly reported in February 2024 that David Glinatsis is managing director and that the firm deliberately hires lawyers with hands on construction and engineering backgrounds. The same report says its work covers front end contracts, project delivery and disputes. That mix suits contractors, developers and consultants on commercial projects. Contact the firm directly for its office address, team and first consultation terms.
Also worth knowing
It promoted an associate director and appointed a special counsel in late 2023.
Watson & Watson is a small Sydney CBD practice. A business directory listing says it works across family law, building and construction, strata, commercial litigation and wills, and that its lawyers have run cases in the Federal Court, the NSW Supreme Court and the High Court. Construction looks like one part of a mixed practice rather than its main focus. Ask the firm which lawyer would handle your matter and what the first consultation involves.
Sachs Gerace Lawyers is a Sydney firm on William Street, Woolloomooloo, just east of the CBD. Its podcast listing calls it a specialist strata and community title firm with more than 25 years in practice, and principal David Sachs hosts The Strata Law Podcast. It also runs a dedicated building and construction page, which makes it a fit for owners corporations with defect problems. Ask the firm who handles construction work and what the first consultation involves.
Also worth knowing
It runs a dedicated Sydney building and construction lawyer page.
Suite 905, Level 9, The Trust Building, 155 King Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Project Lawyers is a Sydney CBD firm in the Trust Building on King Street. Construction, engineering and building defects is one of nine practice areas, sitting alongside planning, strata renewal, compulsory acquisition and insolvency work. The firm says it acts for corporate and private clients on residential, retail, commercial and industrial projects, which suits developers and owners managing a build. Ask the firm which lawyer would run your matter and what the first consultation involves.
Areas of construction law handled
Construction and engineering advice
Building defects claims
Project procurement
Planning and environment
Land and Environment Court applications and appeals
Strata renewal
Litigation and dispute resolution
Office
Suite 905, Level 9, The Trust Building, 155 King Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Initial consultation and case review. The firm says it calls back within 24 hours of an enquiry.
Office
Level 57, 25 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
PBL Law Group is a New South Wales firm with a Sydney office at 25 Martin Place and offices on the Central Coast and North Coast. Building and construction sits alongside strata, planning and estates work. Its construction page names six lawyers, led by partner and director Raea Khan and partner Iain Mark. It acts for builders, homeowners, developers, subcontractors and owners corporations on payment claims, defects and NCAT matters. The firm says it calls back within 24 hours and starts with an initial consultation.
Also worth knowing
It lists a Sydney office at 25 Martin Place plus Gosford.
Lawyers
Raea Khan, Partner and Director
Iain Mark, Partner
Mark Stace, Senior Lawyer
Alex Ilkin, Strata Lawyer
Peggie Pantsos, Associate
Rose Lowrie, Lawyer
Areas of construction law handled
Construction contract drafting and review
Security of payment claims
Adjudication and debt recovery
Building defect claims
NCAT and court representation
Variation and extension of time disputes
Project advisory and risk management
Insurance and liability advice
Work health and safety advice
Office
Level 57, 25 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000
Other details
Other offices
Gosford (Central Coast) and Coffs Harbour (North Coast)
Firm details come from each firm's own website. Google ratings are shown as published on Google and don't set the order. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Not sure which firm suits you?
Tell us a little about your matter and we'll put you in touch with a Sydney construction lawyer. It's free and there's no obligation.
How we compiled this list
We include firms with a Sydney office that show real building and construction work. For each firm we read its website in October 2026, or a directory listing or news report where the site couldn't be reached, and wrote the description ourselves. Where we could only confirm a little about a firm, its write-up is shorter and says so. Some firms here mainly act for contractors and developers on larger projects, and we say so in the write-up. Consultation and fee terms are as the firm describes them, so confirm them in your costs agreement. We show Google ratings with the date we checked them.
No firm pays for its place on this list, and the order is our own. If something here is out of date, let us know. There's more detail on how we rank law firms.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules, time limits and insurance limits are as published by Building Commission NSW, SIRA, NCAT, Legal Aid NSW, the NSW courts and NSW legislation in October 2026.
Getting paid under the Security of Payment Act
NSW's Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 gives anyone who does construction work, or supplies goods or services for it, a right to progress payments. That applies whether the contract is written, verbal or doesn't exist, and even if the contract says you can't claim. A contract term that tries to get around the Act is void. Owner occupier contracts came under the Act from 1 March 2021, and the Act doesn't help a claimant company that's in liquidation.
The claim: in writing, stating the amount, describing the work, goods or services, and saying it's made under the Act. Keep a record of the date the other side receives it
How often: one claim per named month, unless the contract says otherwise. For contracts from 21 October 2019 you can also claim from the date a contract is terminated
How late: within the period the contract allows, or 12 months after the work was last carried out, whichever is later
Supporting statement: a head contractor claiming from a principal must declare it has paid its subcontractors. Knowingly giving false information is a serious offence that can lead to jail
Step
Time limit
Payment schedule in reply to a claim
Within 10 business days, or earlier if the contract says so
Payment from a principal to a head contractor
Within 15 business days of the claim, at most
Payment from a head contractor to a subcontractor
Within 20 business days of the claim, at most
Residential work connected with a home owner's contract
On the date the contract sets, or 10 business days after the claim if the contract is silent
A home owner must give a payment schedule within the contract's timeframe or 10 business days, whichever is earlier, and not paying can lead to the builder suspending work and charging interest. If no schedule is given in time, the other side becomes liable for the whole amount claimed. If the claim still isn't paid by the due date, you can go to court or apply for adjudication. Building Commission NSW doesn't recover money for contractors.
Adjudication and retention money
Adjudication is the quick way to get a payment decision. The deadline to apply depends on what the other side did.
What happened
Time limit
You got a payment schedule for less than you claimed
Apply within 10 business days of receiving it
The scheduled amount wasn't paid
Apply within 20 business days of the due date
No payment schedule and no payment
Give a notice of intention to apply within 20 business days of the due date. The other side then has 5 business days to give a schedule, and you apply within 10 business days after that
Adjudicator doesn't accept the application within 4 business days
You can make a new application within 5 business days
Adjudication response
By the later of 5 business days after receiving the application or 2 business days after notice that the adjudicator accepted it
Adjudicator's decision
Within 10 business days, unless both sides agree to longer
An adjudication certificate can be filed with an affidavit as a judgment for a debt in any court that can hear the amount. Once you've applied for adjudication, you can also ask the principal contractor to hold back money it owes the respondent. That hold ends 20 business days after you serve the determination on the principal contractor, so if you want to keep the money held, serve a notice of claim under the Contractors Debts Act 1997 before then. For contracts from 21 October 2019, the Supreme Court can set aside just the part of a determination affected by jurisdictional error. Adjudication doesn't stop either side going to court later, and the court takes account of what's already been paid.
Retention money. On projects valued over $20 million, head contractors must hold retention money in a trust account with an authorised deposit taking institution, tell the Secretary the account details within 14 days of opening it, and give each subcontractor a ledger at least every 3 months. Head contractors who don't comply face fines of up to $22,000.
Home building contracts and insurance
The Home Building Act 1989 sets the rules for building and renovating a home in NSW. Builders and most tradespeople must be licensed and hold the right insurance.
Written contract: needed for work over $5,000 including GST. Contracts over $20,000 must include more information than smaller jobs
Cooling off: for contracts over $20,000 you can cancel in writing within five business days of signing or getting a copy, or within seven days of finding out the contract should have had a cooling off period but didn't
Home building compensation: builders and tradespeople must buy this cover for work with a home owner over $20,000 including GST, such as new homes, apartment buildings up to three storeys, renovations and pools. The builder must give you the certificate before asking for or taking any payment, including a deposit
When you can claim on it: if the builder has died, become insolvent, disappeared, or had their licence suspended for not paying a tribunal or court order in your favour. The most it pays is $340,000
Cover periods: 12 months after work stops or fails to start for a lost deposit or incomplete work, 6 years for major defects and 2 years for other losses
Tell the insurer in writing as soon as you know about defective or incomplete work. You can check a builder's policy on SIRA's HBC Check register.
Defects: warranties and the duty of care
Home building work comes with statutory warranties. For contracts signed on or after 1 February 2012, you have six years to start a case for a major defect and two years for any other defect.
When the clock starts: on completion of the work. If the work wasn't finished, it runs from when the contract ended or work stopped, or from the contract date if work never started
Late discovery: if a breach becomes apparent in the last six months of the period, you get a further six months
Strata buildings: for a new building in a strata scheme, completion is usually the date the occupation certificate was issued
Before you complain: give the builder a reasonable chance to fix the work and don't stop progress payments. Check whether the contract needs written notice or mediation first
The statutory duty of care. Under the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020, anyone who carries out construction work must take reasonable care to avoid economic loss caused by defects. That covers building work, design, manufacturing or supplying building products, and supervising or project managing the work. The duty can't be delegated, contracts made after it began can't exclude it, and it sits alongside the statutory warranties.
Apartment buildings. Under the Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020, a developer must give an expected completion notice 6 to 12 months before applying for an occupation certificate. The Act lets the Secretary stop an occupation certificate being issued, order work to stop where it could cause significant harm, and order defects to be fixed. These powers apply to buildings completed within the previous 10 years.
Where Sydney construction disputes are decided
Building Commission NSW has been the state's building and construction regulator since 1 December 2023, and it handles complaints about building, renovation and trade work, not NSW Fair Trading. Either side can ask it to help with a dispute, but both must agree to take part. NCAT generally won't accept a home building application unless the dispute has been through this process first, apart from some exceptions, such as when your time limit runs out within 3 months or the builder is in liquidation. An inspector visits only for a major defect, and other defects go through its issue resolution and advisory service. The inspector either issues a rectification order with a completion date or finds the builder isn't responsible. If you lodge an NCAT claim, the order stops having effect.
Where
What it hears
NCAT, Consumer and Commercial Division
Home Building Act claims under $500,000. Level 14 Civic Tower, 66 Goulburn Street, with registries at Liverpool, Parramatta and Penrith
Local Court
Claims up to $100,000, such as unpaid invoices
District Court
Claims from $100,001 to $1,250,000, or more if the parties agree. Civil registry at Level 4, John Maddison Tower, 86 Goulburn Street
Supreme Court
Larger claims and challenges to adjudication determinations. Law Courts Building, 184 Phillip Street
For a home building claim, you have three years to start a breach of contract case at NCAT, or six years in court. A negligence claim that isn't for personal injury has six years from the act or omission. NCAT may not be able to hear work that's outside the warranty period. If you lose at NCAT, you have 7 days to apply to set aside or vary the order, 28 days for an internal appeal, and then 28 days to appeal to the Supreme Court on a question of law. The District and Supreme Courts can hear home building claims over $500,000 in some cases, and the Supreme Court can send a case to mediation with or without the parties' consent.
Costs and free help
If your legal costs are likely to be more than $750, your lawyer must tell you in writing how they'll charge. Construction cases often turn on paperwork, so bring the contract, variations, payment claims, schedules and photos to your first meeting.
LawAccess NSW: 1300 888 529, free legal information, referrals and in some cases advice
Legal Aid NSW: free legal advice for eligible people, mainly those experiencing disadvantage. Call LawAccess NSW first to check if you qualify
Law Society of NSW Solicitor Referral Service: (02) 9926 0333, 9am to 5pm, gives you up to three firms that practise in your area of law. The referral is free, but the firms charge their normal fees
NCAT: 1300 006 228, 8:30am to 4:30pm weekdays
Security of payment breaches: such as a missing or false supporting statement, can be reported to Building Commission NSW using its online breach reporting form. For questions, email [email protected]
Sydney construction law: common questions
How quickly do I have to be paid on a progress claim in NSW?
A principal must pay a head contractor within 15 business days of a payment claim and a head contractor must pay a subcontractor within 20, unless the contract sets an earlier date. For residential work connected with a home owner's contract, payment is due on the date in the contract, or 10 business days after the claim if the contract doesn't say.
What happens if the other side doesn't send a payment schedule?
If no payment schedule is given within 10 business days, they become liable for the whole amount you claimed. If it still isn't paid, you can go to court, or give a notice of intention to apply for adjudication within 20 business days of the due date. They then have 5 business days to give a schedule, and you can apply within 10 business days after that.
Does the Security of Payment Act cover my home renovation?
Yes, if you live in the home or plan to live in it, and you signed the contract on or after 1 March 2021. You must give a payment schedule within the contract's timeframe or 10 business days of a claim, whichever is earlier, and not paying can lead to the builder suspending work and charging interest.
How long do I have to claim for defective building work?
Under the statutory warranties, six years for a major defect and two years for other defects, generally from completion. If a defect shows up in the last six months, you get a further six months. A breach of contract claim at NCAT has to be started within three years.
Does my builder need home building compensation cover?
Yes, for work with a home owner worth more than $20,000 including GST. You should get the certificate before paying anything, including a deposit. It pays up to $340,000 if the builder dies, becomes insolvent, disappears or has their licence suspended for not paying an order in your favour.
Can an adjudication determination be challenged?
Yes, in the Supreme Court. For contracts from 21 October 2019, the court can set aside only the part affected by jurisdictional error. Adjudication also doesn't stop either side going to court over the contract later, and the court takes account of amounts already paid.
Will Building Commission NSW get my money back?
No. It doesn't recover money owed to contractors. For home building work, it can help if both sides agree, and for a major defect an inspector can issue a rectification order. Money claims go to NCAT or the courts.
