Notice № TB-001Posted ...Jurisdiction: NSW + QLD

NSW SOPA deadlines · From A$49/mo · General information, not legal advice

The deadline tracker that refuses to guess.

TimeBar reads your construction payment claims and payment schedules, computes the statutory response deadlines under security-of-payment law, and escalates anything it cannot verify: to you, and to your lawyer. It is for builders and subcontractors in NSW (and QLD) who receive or serve payment claims. Guardian Standard is A$49 a month, AUD GST incl. It is general information only, not legal advice, and it never tells you that you are fine.

Illustrative exampleHow the count works
Claim served (example) ...
Schedule due: NSW ...

10 business days after service: weekends, public holidays and 27 to 31 December excluded (NSW).

General information only, not legal advice. Holiday table is illustrative; the live product verifies the current proclaimed holidays.

Start · A$49/mo Read the legal boundaries

NSW first; QLD timelines also computed as general information. Confirm every date with your solicitor before relying on it.

01 · The problem

One missed date can decide the dispute

Under security-of-payment law, the respondent's window to serve a payment schedule is short, the rules differ between states, and a schedule served late generally has no effect under the Act, which can leave a respondent barred from raising defences in adjudication. General information only; confirm with your solicitor.

10 BD

NSW schedule window

A payment schedule is generally due within 10 business days after the payment claim is served, or earlier if the contract requires. [verified 2026-10-04: primary Act text, s14(4)]

15 BD

QLD schedule window

Under the Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 (Qld), a schedule is due within 15 business days after being given, or earlier if the contract requires. [verified 2026-09-28 against the primary Act text]

2 states

No single national clock

Business-day definitions differ: NSW excludes 27 to 31 December; QLD excludes 22 to 24 December and 2 to 10 January. One rule applied nationally would be wrong most of the time. NSW [verified 2026-09-28, s4 primary text]; QLD [verified 2026-09-28, Sch 2 primary text]

02 · How it works

A disciplined second set of eyes

TimeBar is a calculator plus template generator with enforced refusal branches. Where facts are ambiguous it refuses rather than guesses.

1

Forward the claim

Send the payment claim or schedule you received (or served) to TimeBar. Inbox triage classifies incoming mail as candidates: claim, schedule, variation, invoice, or ordinary correspondence, for your review.

2

Dates computed, working shown

Every date comes with its rule, Act section, and source so it is verifiable general information, not an opaque answer. Claims are screened for validity defects before anything is computed.

3

Alerts, then escalation

Alerts at 3 days, 1 day, and on the day. If a window may already have passed, TimeBar says so plainly and directs you to a construction lawyer urgently. It never tells you that you are fine.

03 · Alerts

The three taps on the shoulder

Illustrative samples of what a guarded deadline sends. Real alerts arrive at three business days, one business day, and on the day. An expired window gets a fourth: an urgent escalation, never reassurance.

Illustrative sampleT-3

Schedule due in 3 business days: Claim 2026-1847

Your payment schedule is due Wed 14 Oct 2026 (NSW, 10 business days after service). The working is attached. Serve early: a late schedule generally has no effect under the Act.

Illustrative sampleT-1

Schedule due tomorrow: Claim 2026-1847

Due Wed 14 Oct 2026. If the facts have changed, forward the latest documents. TimeBar recomputes; it never guesses.

Illustrative sampleT-0

Due today: Claim 2026-1847

The schedule window closes today. If service is not complete, speak to your construction solicitor now. General information only, not legal advice.

Illustrative sampleEscalation

Deadline may have passed: Claim 2026-1847

The schedule window appears to have closed. See a construction lawyer urgently. TimeBar will not tell you that you are fine.

04 · Deadline rules: general information

What the Acts say, shown with the working

These are the statutory time periods the engine encodes. They are general information only: legislation changes and the facts of your documents control your actual deadlines. Confirm every date with your solicitor.

RuleNSWQLDStatus
Payment schedule due10 business days after service, or earlier per contract15 business days after given, or earlier per contractNSW [verified 2026-10-04, s14(4)]; QLD [verified 2026-09-28]
Subcontract payment due-date cap20 business days (2018 amendments, s11(1B)(a))25 business days (QBCC Act s67U)[verified 2026-09-28: primary text]
Business day excludesSat/Sun, public holidays, 27 to 31 DecemberSat/Sun, public holidays, 22 to 24 Dec, 27 to 31 Dec, 2 to 10 Jan[verified 2026-09-28: primary text]
Adjudication application after short-pay schedule10 business days after receiving the schedule30 business days after receiving the schedule[likely: secondary sources consistent]
Not legal advice. This table is general information about legislation, not advice on your matter. Deadlines depend on your contract, your documents, and current law. Verify with a construction solicitor before acting.
Refusal rules: the legal strategy is structural. Mixed-jurisdiction projects escalate, never guessed at. NSW rules never leak into QLD matters and vice versa. Missing claim facts produce a refusal, never a comfortable deadline. Expired windows produce an urgent escalation, never reassurance. States other than NSW and QLD are not computed. Full legal boundaries.

05 · Scope

What TimeBar does, and what it will not do

TimeBar does

  • Compute response deadlines for payment schedules and adjudication steps from the dates on your documents (NSW, and QLD as general information)
  • Screen every claim for validity defects before computing anything, and refuse where facts are missing
  • Escalate uncertainty to you and your lawyer; fence NSW and QLD rules so they never leak into each other
  • Triage your inbox into claim / schedule / variation / invoice as candidates for your review, never legal conclusions
  • Generate blank-field document templates (payment schedule, s17(2) notice) as drafts, never as filings

TimeBar does not

  • Give legal advice, assess prospects, suggest defences, or act as your agent
  • Cover states or territories other than NSW and QLD: it refuses what it does not know
  • File, lodge, or serve any document on your behalf
  • Promise outcomes or guarantee payments: it cannot, and it does not try
  • Recommend adjudicators, assess claims' merits, or advise whether to litigate or negotiate

06 · Who it is for

An honest fit check

TimeBar is a volume tool. If your claim flow is a trickle, the honest buy is the sprint, or nothing at all.

For you if

  • Your business receives or serves several payment claims a year across NSW (and QLD)
  • You want every schedule and adjudication window watched without relying on memory
  • You have a construction solicitor to confirm dates: TimeBar is the diary, not the lawyer

Walk away if

  • It is a single matter: the A$99 sprint (or the free path below) is the honest buy
  • You need advice on merits, defences, or strategy: speak to a construction solicitor
  • Your project is outside NSW or QLD: TimeBar refuses what it does not know

07 · Pricing

Guardian plans: A$49 or A$79 a month. The sprint is A$99.

A$49 a month is about A$1.60 a day to never miss a time bar. One missed payment schedule can decide an entire dispute. All prices AUD, GST incl. Monthly plans cancel anytime.

Guardian · Standard
A$49 / month, AUD GST incl.

Respondent-side watch: incoming payment claims detected, payment-schedule deadlines computed, alerts before each time bar. Built for subcontractors and builders who receive claims.

  • Payment-claim and schedule deadline computation (NSW; QLD general information)
  • T-3 / T-1 / T-0 alerts before time bars
  • Inbox triage: candidate classification
  • Claim-validity screening with enforced refusal
Start Standard · A$49/mo
Guardian · Pro
A$79 / month, AUD GST incl.

Both sides plus adjudication tracking: everything in Standard, plus deadlines on claims you serve and the adjudication steps that follow. For crews with claim flow in both directions.

  • Everything in Guardian Standard
  • Claimant-side deadline tracking
  • Adjudication application / response windows
  • s17(2) notice and payment-schedule draft templates
Start Pro · A$79/mo
Single-claim sprint
A$99 one-off, AUD GST incl.

One claim, every deadline computed with the working shown: a complete, solicitor-confirmable answer for a single matter. No subscription, no commitment. At fewer than about 6 claims a year the sprint is cheaper than the subscription [illustrative arithmetic].

Start the sprint · A$99

Our guarantee: full refund within 24 hours of signup if TimeBar has not computed a deadline for you. Request it within 7 days; it is issued within 5 business days, no arguments. Monthly plans cancel anytime. Full terms: terms.html#refund.

08 · Straight answers

No sales talk. Just answers.

Is TimeBar legal advice?
No. TimeBar computes dates from statutory formulas and shows its working: rule, section, source, so you can verify it. It never recommends a course of action, never assesses merits, and never acts as your agent. Confirm every date with a construction solicitor before relying on it.
Can you guarantee I won't miss a deadline?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. TimeBar is a disciplined diary with enforced refusals, not a promise. The guarantee we make is about the product working as described, not about outcomes.
Will you act for me or file anything?
No. TimeBar never files, lodges, or serves documents, and never acts as your agent. Templates are drafts with blank fields; serving is your job or your solicitor's.
Which states does it cover?
NSW first, with QLD timelines also computed as general information. Every other state and territory is refused, not guessed at: the clock rules differ too much to approximate.
What happens if a deadline may already have passed?
TimeBar says so plainly and tells you to see a construction lawyer urgently. It never offers reassurance about expired windows.
Can it draft my payment schedule?
It generates blank-field drafts with the statutory content prompts, including the hard prompt to list every reason for withholding payment. Reasons are your words (or your solicitor's) only; TimeBar never suggests defences, and one click goes to a draft, never to serving.
What data does it hold?
Payment claims contain commercial-in-confidence material. Requirements include Australian Privacy Principles compliance, data residency in Australia, read-only inbox scopes with revocation, and deletion on cancellation.

09 · Honest alternative

The free way to protect a deadline

TimeBar is for firms running many claims who want every deadline watched, computed and escalated automatically. The free path works if you only have one.

Put every deadline on the board, with the working shown

Guardian Standard: A$49 a month, AUD GST incl. Cancel anytime. General information only, never legal advice.

Start · A$49/mo
Start · A$49/mo