# How long do large Australian construction businesses take to pay small businesses?

Large Australian construction businesses take a median of 30 days to pay their small business suppliers, 5 days slower than the median of 25 days for all industries. The industry ranks 2 of 18, where 1 is the slowest payer.

Figures cover large Australian businesses paying their small business suppliers only.

- Median days to pay small business: 30 (all industries: 25)
- Slowest-paying rank: 2 of 18
- Small business invoices paid late, median entity: 24.4%
- Companies entering external administration, 12 months: 3,976
- Reporting entities: 295

## Findings

- How many invoices are paid late? At the median entity, 24.4% of small business invoices are paid late, 1.6 points below the figure for all industries of 26%.
- How long do most take? The middle half of entities pay in 22.5 to 37.1 days. A quarter take longer than 37.1 days.
- How many businesses became insolvent? 3,976 construction companies entered external administration over September 2025 to August 2026, rank 1 of 18 by number of cases. This is a count, not a rate.

## Where does construction rank?

1. Manufacturing pays small business suppliers in a median of 31.8 days.
2. Construction pays small business suppliers in a median of 30 days.
3. Mining pays small business suppliers in a median of 28 days.
4. Wholesale Trade pays small business suppliers in a median of 27 days.
5. Transport, Postal and Warehousing pays small business suppliers in a median of 27 days.
6. Retail Trade pays small business suppliers in a median of 25.9 days.
7. Professional, Scientific and Technical Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 25.4 days.
8. Health Care and Social Assistance pays small business suppliers in a median of 24.6 days.
9. Other Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 24.6 days.
10. Information Media and Telecommunications pays small business suppliers in a median of 24 days.
11. Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing pays small business suppliers in a median of 23 days.
12. Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 22.7 days.
13. Public Administration and Safety pays small business suppliers in a median of 22.1 days.
14. Accommodation and Food Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 21.7 days.
15. Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 21.3 days.
16. Administrative and Support Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 19.6 days.
17. Arts and Recreation Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 19.3 days.
18. Financial and Insurance Services pays small business suppliers in a median of 14.6 days.

## Which construction subdivisions pay slowest?

Heavy and civil engineering construction is the slowest subdivision at 30.7 days. Building construction is the fastest at 29.8 days.

| Subdivision | Median days | Middle half | Paid late | Entities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy and civil engineering construction | 30.7 | 25.7 to 36.7 | 22% | 77 |
| Construction services | 30 | 20.7 to 39.9 | 25.9% | 96 |
| Building construction | 29.8 | 21 to 36.4 | 22.9% | 122 |

Businesses that sell to construction businesses can compare these figures with their own debtor days. Paidnice is [debtor management software in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/debtor-management-software): it sends reminders and adds late fees on overdue invoices in Xero or QuickBooks. See [Paidnice for construction firms](https://www.paidnice.com/industries/construction).

## Related guides

- [debtor management software in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/debtor-management-software)
- [Debtor management in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/debtor-management-software-australia)
- [What is debtor management?](https://www.paidnice.com/dictionary/debtor-management)
- [Australian accounts receivable statistics](https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-statistics/australia)
- [Late fees in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/late-fees-in-australia)
- [Collecting debt in Australia](https://www.paidnice.com/blog/full-guide-collecting-debt-in-australia)
- [Accounts receivable statistics](https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-statistics)
- [Accounts receivable software](https://www.paidnice.com/accounts-receivable-software)

## Method and sources

This page reports how long large companies take to pay, from government payment filings. How long small businesses wait to be paid is a different measure on a different group of businesses, and it is on the accounts receivable statistics pages.

## Cite

Paidnice (2026). Australian construction payment times. https://www.paidnice.com/payment-times/au/construction. Source: Payment Times Reporting Scheme register (reports ending March 2025 to June 2026), ASIC insolvency statistics (© Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0).