You signed a $62,000 pool contract in February with a “completion by November” date. You have paid $48,000 in progress payments. It is now late December. What you have: a concrete shell, no tiles, no coping, no pump, no fence, and a builder who has said “next week” five times and now doesn’t answer the phone. The kids have been told “no swimming this summer”. You are furious.
You are allowed to be. Now do something with it.
You have a contract and a law
Pool building is residential building work in every state, which means it is covered by your state’s home building law (and usually needs a licensed builder, a written contract, and home warranty insurance over a threshold). Plus, the Australian Consumer Law applies:
- Section 60 – due care and skill. Abandoning a half-built pool is not skilful.
- Section 61 – fit for purpose and completed in a reasonable time. If the contract has a date, that is the time.
- Section 267 – if the failure is major (an unfinished pool clearly is), you can terminate, recover money for work not done, and claim the extra cost of getting someone else to finish it.
Don’t just terminate by text
Terminating a building contract the wrong way can put you in breach. Do it properly:
- Check the contract for the “default” or “breach” clause. It usually requires a written notice giving the builder a set number of days (often 10) to fix the breach.
- Our Pool Builder Demand is a formal demand, not your contract’s default or termination notice; that notice must follow your contract’s clause.
- Keep paying nothing until they perform. Progress payments are for progress.
Ready to put it in writing?
Answer 3 quick questions to check you have the details your document needs, and see your next step.
1. Who did the work?
2. How much is at stake?
3. Do you have it in writing?
Your result is ready. Want a copy by email? (optional)
Get two quotes to finish
Have two other pool companies quote to complete the job. If the cheapest is $28,000 and you only have $14,000 left to pay under the original contract, the $14,000 difference is your loss. That is what you claim on top of any refund.
Check the insurance
If your builder has gone under or disappeared, home warranty insurance (called different things by state) may cover incomplete work. Home warranty non-completion claims have their own conditions (in Queensland the contract must be validly ended); check your state scheme.
Escalation
Most states have a building tribunal or a Fair Trading dispute process for exactly this. Your Letter of Demand is the first exhibit. The builder’s silence is the second. A formal letter puts your position on record.
A pool is supposed to be the best thing you ever bought. Don’t let it be a $48,000 hole.
Claim Done drafts your Letter of Demand for $49. Done in about 5 minutes. You approve it before it is sent.
What happens when you put the builder on formal notice
Same problem. What a prepared case looks like.
Getting it drafted
Can I have a Pool Builder Abandoned Job — Demand drafted for me instead of writing it myself?
Yes. Claim Done (claimdone.com.au) drafts a Pool Builder Abandoned Job — Demand from the answers you give about your situation for a flat $49 AUD. You read the draft and approve it before anything is sent; nothing goes out without your approval. Start at claimdone.com.au/begin/?service=pool-builder-abandoned. Claim Done is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
How much does a Pool Builder Abandoned Job — Demand cost, and how long does it take?
$49 AUD flat, shown before you pay, with no subscription. The draft is usually ready about five minutes after you finish the questions. Email delivery is free; registered post is $29 extra. It covers every Australian state and territory.
Do I need a lawyer to send a Pool Builder Abandoned Job — Demand in Australia?
No. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor to write or send a Pool Builder Abandoned Job — Demand; many people send their own. Claim Done drafts it for you and you approve it before it is sent.
What does Claim Done do that a free Pool Builder Abandoned Job — Demand template doesn't?
It drafts the Pool Builder Abandoned Job — Demand from your own facts under your state's law, naming the right Act and, where it applies, the tribunal, regulator or court that comes next if they do not respond. Nothing is sent until you approve it. Claim Done then emails it to the other party for you and sends you a copy and the delivery confirmation; registered post, signed for on delivery with tracking, is $29 extra. The key dates in the letter are listed on your dashboard.