AI is starting to show up everywhere in construction, including contract reviews. For subcontractors working in commercial construction, that can sound like a huge time saver. But it also introduces risks that many people don’t realise. 

In this episode of The Subbies Toolbox Podcast, Michelle Cirson shares practical insights from reviewing hundreds of construction contracts and explains where AI can genuinely help subcontractors, and where it can quietly lead them into trouble. 

Michelle walks through some real examples of how AI can misunderstand prompts, miss important contract risks, or frame your thinking about a deal before you’ve even assessed it properly yourself. 

Most importantly, she explains how subcontractors can use AI as a tool rather than a decision-maker when reviewing builders’ contracts. 

If you’re starting to experiment with AI in your business, this episode will help you use it wisely while still protecting your commercial interests. 

This episode explores: 

Michelle also explains the hierarchy of contract risk controls and how subcontractors can use it to decide whether a clause needs negotiation, adjustment to scope, or whether the project risk is simply too high. 

Michelle Cirson is construction lawyer, adjudicator and former commercial builder’s CA who now works exclusively with Australian subcontractors. She helps commercial subcontractors manage their builders’ contracts and get paid on time, without losing jobs and blowing up builder relationships. Michelle is the founder of The Subbies Toolbox Membership.  

If you want to understand how this system actually works and where subcontractors tend to get caught out, you’ll find more resources at www.subbiestoolbox.com.au. 

This week on The Subbies Toolbox Podcast, we’re talking about unfair contract terms laws and whether the changes brought in during 2023 have actually made things better for subcontractors.

On paper, these laws look like a big win. There are serious penalties now for companies that include unfair terms in their contracts. But in practice, things aren’t always that simple.

Most subcontractors are still being handed standard form contracts on a take it or leave it basis. And the reality is, many of the clauses in those contracts still heavily favour the builder or upstream party.

So the real question isn’t whether the laws exist. It’s whether they’re actually changing behaviour on the ground.

In this episode, I walk through what’s really happening in the industry, what I’m seeing in negotiations every day, and where these laws are starting to make a difference.

We also unpack some of the more questionable contract practices that are still floating around, including early payment discounts and how they actually work behind the scenes.

If you’re signing contracts regularly, this is something you need to understand. Not from a legal theory perspective, but from a practical, commercial one.

Get the Business Risk Checklist (Free Download) 
https://www.subbiestoolbox.com.au/risk 

Michelle Cirson is construction lawyer, adjudicator and former commercial builder’s CA who now works exclusively with Australian subcontractors. She helps commercial subcontractors manage their builders’ contracts and get paid on time, without losing jobs and blowing up builder relationships. Michelle is the founder of The Subbies Toolbox Membership.  

If you want to understand how this system actually works and where subcontractors tend to get caught out, you’ll find more resources at www.subbiestoolbox.com.au

In this episode, Michelle explains why Inspection Test Plans (ITPs) are one of the most overlooked tools subcontractors have to protect themselves on commercial construction projects. 

Many subbies see ITPs as just paperwork. Something the builder asks for that ends up sitting in a folder no one ever looks at. But when payment disputes happen, when projects go sideways, or when builders start questioning your work, ITPs can become some of the most powerful evidence you have. 

Michelle shares real cases where subcontractors lost hundreds of thousands of dollars simply because they could not prove what had been delivered or completed on site. She also explains how a simple, systematic approach to ITPs can protect your business and help you get paid. 

This episode also looks at how poor record keeping can backfire if ITPs are completed incorrectly or treated as a box-ticking exercise. 

If you work in commercial construction, this is one of the simplest risk management systems you can implement in your business. 

Get the Business Risk Checklist (Free Download) 
https://www.subbiestoolbox.com.au/risk 

Michelle Cirson is construction lawyer, adjudicator and former commercial builder’s CA who now works exclusively with Australian subcontractors. She helps commercial subcontractors manage their builders’ contracts and get paid on time, without losing jobs and blowing up builder relationships. Michelle is the founder of The Subbies Toolbox Membership.  

If you want to understand how this system actually works and where subcontractors tend to get caught out, you’ll find more resources at www.subbiestoolbox.com.au. 

In this episode of The Subbies Toolbox Podcast, Michelle breaks down one of the most overlooked risk areas for commercial subcontractors: purchase order terms and conditions.

Drawing on real experiences from legal disputes in the commercial construction industry, Michelle explains how many payment disputes actually start much earlier in a project. Small gaps in documentation, supplier agreements, or purchasing processes can quickly escalate into major financial problems.

Michelle shares practical stories from subcontractors who found themselves exposed because there was nothing in writing when purchasing specialist equipment or engaging suppliers.

If you want to protect your subcontracting business, this episode explains why purchase order terms and conditions should be one of the first contracts you implement.

Get the Business Risk Checklist (Free Download)
https://www.subbiestoolbox.com.au/risk

Michelle Cirson is construction lawyer, adjudicator and former commercial builder’s CA who now works exclusively with Australian subcontractors. She helps commercial subcontractors manage their builders’ contracts and get paid on time, without losing jobs and blowing up builder relationships. Michelle is the founder of The Subbies Toolbox Membership.  

If you want to understand how this system actually works and where subcontractors tend to get caught out, you’ll find more resources at www.subbiestoolbox.com.au. 

Welcome to Season 2 and the first episode of The Subbies Toolbox Podcast. 

If you’re a commercial subcontractor working for builders in Australia, this podcast is for you. 

In this episode, I explain why the podcast has evolved from Tricks of Your Trade into the Subbies Toolbox, who I am, and why most subcontractor problems can be avoided long before anyone needs to go near a courtroom. 

We talk honestly about why construction contracts don’t operate on common sense, how the system is designed to default in the builder’s favour, and why subcontractors need a systematic approach to help them get through business life unscathed. 

Resources 

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About the Host  
Michelle Cirson is construction lawyer, adjudicator and former commercial builder’s CA who now works exclusively with Australian subcontractors. She helps commercial subcontractors manage their builders’ contracts and get paid on time, without losing jobs and blowing up builder relationships. Michelle is the founder of The Subbies Toolbox Membership.  

If you want to understand how this system actually works and where subcontractors tend to get caught out, you’ll find more resources at www.subbiestoolbox.com.au. 

This is the final episode of the Tricks of Your Trade podcast. 

In this episode, I explain why the podcast name is changing, how the business has evolved and what that means for you as a subcontractor working in commercial construction. 

I share the story behind how Tricks of Your Trade started, from my time as a builder’s CA through to becoming a solicitor, building The Subbies Toolbox and shifting away from done-for-you contract admin into education, systems and advocacy that will actually move the needle for subbies. 

I talk openly about why the Tricks of Your Trade brand no longer reflects the professional services we now provide, and why our brand positioning matters if we want subcontractors to be taken seriously by builders, regulators, and government. 

This episode also outlines what’s coming next, including a renewed focus on industry reform, unfair contract terms, trust account failures and using bigger platforms to push for change that benefits subcontractors long term. 

Key Takeaways 

About the Host 

Michelle Cirson is construction lawyer, adjudicator and former commercial builder’s CA who now works exclusively with Australian subcontractors. She helps commercial subcontractors manage their builders’ contracts and get paid on time, without losing jobs and blowing up builder relationships. Michelle is the founder of The Subbies Toolbox Membership. 

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Liquidated damages are becoming a bigger challenge for subcontractors, especially post-COVID. Builders are using them more aggressively, sometimes unfairly holding subcontractors responsible for delays they didn't cause—or even helped avoid. On today's episode of the Tricks of your Trade podcast I break down the key contract clauses you need to review to protect your business, including commencement dates, practical completion, qualifying causes of delay, and more.

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Hi there! Today, I want to chat with you about something that trips up a lot of people in the construction industry—the Christmas shutdown period. While many industries keep rolling through the holidays, construction traditionally grinds to a halt, and that can lead to some unexpected headaches.

In this episode of the Tricks of Your Trade podcast, I dive into the three key ways this downtime can cause trouble and give you some tips to keep you ahead of the game - From payment claims, to contract deadlines, or project delays.

Christmas Shutdown Dates in Australia:

QLD: 22 December to 10 January (Inclusive)
NSW: 27 to 31 December (Inclusive)
ACT: 27 to 31 December (Inclusive)
VIC: No shutdown (Public holidays and weekends observed)
SA: 27 to 31 December (Inclusive)
NT: 25 December to 7 January (Inclusive) TAS: 27 to 31 December (Inclusive)

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Why does the construction industry feel so tough when today’s technology should be making it easier? It’s a question I couldn’t stop thinking about as I stood in the rain at Brisbane’s City Hall 🏛️ (yes, I was soaked!) Looking at the incredible 1920s hand-drawn blueprints of this iconic building, I couldn’t help but wonder—if they managed all that without modern tech, why are we struggling so much now?

In this episode of the Tricks of your Trade podcast, I dig into the shared frustrations of both builder staff and subbies. Whether you’re the one issuing contracts or the one stuck with them, we’re all navigating tight budgets, unrealistic timelines, and outdated practices. But there’s common ground—and fairer contracts are the key.

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In this episode, I’m diving into the critical clauses around variations in contracts—a topic that I've been asked about a lot lately. I’ll cover what to look out for before signing, including how long variations can be directed, whether you have the right to decline them, how they’re valued, and how margins on variations and credits are handled. I also touch on the importance of knowing your rights when it comes to fixing defects, especially with builders tightening their margins. I’ll share a real-world story about a tiler who got caught out by a clause, leaving them significantly out of pocket. Don’t let a simple oversight like this cost you!

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