The risk sitting in your subcontractor panel
Every large builder, developer and principal contractor in Australia depends on a panel of subcontractors. The problem is that most engagement decisions are made on price, availability and word of mouth — without any independent verification of who you are actually contracting to.
A subcontractor who collapses mid-project, abandons works halfway through a pour, has their licence suspended, or turns out to have a pattern of defaults and phoenix activity becomes your problem. Delays, liquidated damages exposure, WHS incidents, re-engagement costs, and reputational damage to your company and your client.
No service in Australia currently offers systematic, panel-level background checking for head contractors and developers. We do.
They walk off site on day three of your slab pour. You are now facing a $180,000 remediation cost, a two-week delay, and a contract with liquidated damages running at $5,000 per day. All of that information was visible in advance — if you had known where to look.
Built for companies that contract at scale
Eight data sources. Every entity. Every time.
Each subcontractor in your panel receives the same comprehensive independent investigation:
- Licence currency and category — confirmed against the relevant state register on the date of check. Confirms the licence covers the specific trade and scope of work you are engaging them for.
- Credit defaults and payment history — unpaid trade creditor debts, equipment finance defaults, ATO payment plans and arrears. A subcontractor with mounting payment defaults is a flight risk.
- Court judgements — District and Supreme Court debt judgements, enforcement orders and outstanding writs against the entity and its directors.
- Tribunal decisions — QCAT, VCAT, NCAT and state commercial and consumer tribunal decisions. Prior adverse decisions are a reliable predictor of future conduct.
- Company history and related entities — full ASIC company search covering registration history, deregistrations, associated entities and trading names.
- Phoenix activity patterns — directors connected to prior liquidations or repeated insolvency and re-registration cycles. The most important check most companies never run.
- ASIC insolvency records — current or prior liquidations, voluntary administrations, receiverships and bankruptcies involving the entity or its directors.
- State regulator disciplinary records — QBCC, VBA, NSW Fair Trading and equivalent state authority published disciplinary decisions, suspensions and cancellations.
Confidential: All checks are conducted without notifying the subcontractor. They are never informed a check has been run.
Panel check packages
One-time check across your full subcontractor panel before a specific project commences. The standard starting point for most clients.
- 5 to 50+ subcontractors per panel
- Full 8-source background check on each entity
- Individual report per subcontractor
- Consolidated panel risk summary — flagged entities highlighted
- Recommended actions on flagged entities
- Delivered within 5 business days
Quarterly refresh checks on your preferred contractor panel, plus alert notifications when status changes — new court records, licence suspensions, or insolvency filings.
- Ideal for preferred supplier lists, council panels and ongoing development programs
- Quarterly re-check of entire panel with updated risk summary
- Alert notifications for material status changes between refresh cycles
- Annual account management and panel review included
- Per-entity monthly rate — contact us for pricing based on panel size
Background checks on all tendering subcontractors before tender evaluation. Know who you’re assessing — not just what they’re quoting.
- Checks completed before tender close date
- Results feed directly into tender evaluation
- Rush turnaround available on request
- Particularly valuable for government and council tender processes
Simple. Fast. No special format required.
Send us your panel list
Provide subcontractor names, ABNs and states. Email, Excel or CSV — whatever format you already have. No special preparation required.
We scope and confirm within one business day
We confirm the number of entities, turnaround timeline, pricing and any entities we need clarification on. You approve before we start.
Checks are conducted independently
Each subcontractor is checked across all eight data sources. Entirely confidential — they are never notified a check has been conducted.
Panel report delivered
You receive individual reports on each subcontractor plus a consolidated panel risk summary. Flagged entities are highlighted with risk ratings and recommended actions. Delivered as PDF via secure email.
Named report manager available to discuss findings
Your report manager is identified on every report and available to discuss any findings, clarify risk ratings, or advise on next steps for flagged entities.
Tell us about your panel
Every client is different — panel sizes, project types, turnaround requirements and budget all vary. Tell us what you need and we’ll come back with a scoped proposal within one business day.
Prefer email? info@alwayscheckyourbuilder.com.au