The builder has stopped answering.

Silence leaves the next site visit uncertain

A plastering subcontractor has finished a stage of work. The site supervisor no longer returns calls, and the accounts email produces an automatic reply. The subcontractor hears rumours that other trades are also waiting. There is still no reliable information about the builder's position, while the subcontractor must decide whether to send workers back next week.

Separate silence from a confirmed collapse

Check whether you are contacting the right person and whether an authorised accounts contact is available. Try the business's established contact details and keep a record of attempts. Rumours from the site may explain your concern, but they are not proof of an insolvency appointment.

ASIC's Published notices can help establish whether an external administrator has been appointed to a company. Search using the correct company identity. A trading name shared by several businesses can otherwise lead you to the wrong conclusion.

Source: Insolvency — ASIC

Put the account into one clear message

Send a concise account summary through the agreed channel. Include the invoice, amount due, work covered and earlier request for payment. Ask whether the builder disputes the amount and who is responsible for answering.

Avoid a stream of escalating messages to every person on site. A well-organised request is easier to refer for advice and less likely to confuse the issue. Keep copies of attachments and records showing where and when the request was sent.

Review the next site commitment

List the labour, materials and equipment you would expose by returning. Check what work is already contracted and whether payment, access or suspension provisions apply. Do not assume that a silent customer gives you an automatic right to stop work or remove materials.

If the builder has entered administration or liquidation, establish who now has authority before accepting directions. A supervisor who previously approved work may no longer be the person who can make a reliable payment commitment.

Move from chasing to a planned response

Choose the next action using confirmed facts: another targeted request, a formal demand, advice about a construction payment process or lodging a claim with an appointed practitioner. Different routes have different requirements; identify applicable time limits promptly.

Give your team one contact person for this account. Ask workers to preserve relevant site records and report new information without confronting the builder's staff. The aim is to protect the claim and reduce further exposure, not win an argument on site.

Check the builder before committing more

Confirm the builder's legal identity and check any insolvency notice.

Send one documented account request to an appropriate contact.

Review upcoming site commitments and obtain advice on any proposed suspension or recovery action.

Call CRP today about an unresponsive debtor and coordinating a practical recovery review.