Builder non-payment and subcontractor chains
Recovery for tradies owed money by head contractors, developers and residential clients — with awareness of the security-of-payment framework.
Trade businesses
Debt recovery for trade businesses
Plumbers, electricians, HVAC contractors and tilers are routinely last in the payment queue. Merion recovers residential and commercial trade accounts — including builder non-payment — on a commission-only basis.
Trade businesses extend credit every time they start a job. Materials are purchased, labour is committed, work is completed — and payment follows when the client, homeowner or head contractor gets around to it. In residential work, clients often dispute the final invoice or simply go quiet. In commercial work, tradies sit at the bottom of a payment chain where head contractors absorb subcontractor entitlements for months, knowing the leverage runs the other way.
The Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act (BCISOPA) — enacted in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT — gives subcontractors and tradies a statutory right to progress payments without needing to litigate the full contract. Merion understands the BCISOPA framework and works with trade clients to establish the factual basis of a claim before acting. Where an account is a straightforward unpaid invoice, we recover it directly. Where it sits in a disputed construction context, we advise on the right escalation path. Either way, the result is the same: the tradie gets paid.
How we help
Recovery tailored to how you get paid
BCISOPA-aware
Mindful of statutory payment rights under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act where accounts are escalated.
Residential and commercial
Recovery across both homeowner disputes and commercial construction payment chains.
Stop financing jobs for builders who won't pay
A subcontractor's unpaid invoice is their money — not a head contractor's working capital. Refer it.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do you work with plumbers, electricians, HVAC and tiling contractors?
Yes — trade businesses of all types are clients we work with regularly. Residential homeowner accounts, commercial trade accounts and subcontractor claims against head contractors are all debts we recover.
What is BCISOPA and does it apply to my account?
The Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act gives subcontractors and tradies a statutory right to recover progress payments without needing to sue under the contract. It applies to construction work in QLD, NSW, VIC and the ACT. Whether it applies to your specific account depends on the nature of the work and the contract — we assess this as part of the initial account review.
What does recovery cost?
Commission-only on what we recover, agreed in writing before we start. The initial appraisal is free and obligation-free.
Get started
Trade invoice unpaid?
Refer it — we'll assess whether BCISOPA applies and the best path to recovery.