The First 48 Hours After a Builder Collapse

Confirm the event

Obtain the external administrator's notice, check ASIC Published Notices and verify the exact contracting company. Record the appointment date, practitioner details and reference numbers. Do not rely on an employee's message that the company has closed.

Notify icare HBCF in writing, identify the certificate and property, and state that work has stopped because of the apparent insolvency event. Preserve the acknowledgement and claim or notification number.

Control access without destroying evidence

Change access arrangements where legally permitted, recover keys and codes, and keep a site-entry log. Photograph gates, temporary fencing, stored materials and the overall condition before moving anything. Tell the administrator about company-owned or hired plant rather than disposing of it.

Install only proportionate emergency protection. If tarpaulins, temporary flashing, pumping, drying or security work is required, record the condition before intervention, the reason, labour, materials and result.

Create the first condition record

Walk the entire site systematically. Capture each elevation, room, roof access point, service area, external work, stored item and visible defect. Use wide photographs for orientation and close images for detail. Record date, time and weather.

Make a brief written list of incomplete work, safety hazards, water entry, exposed materials, power and water status, temporary supports and items at risk of theft. Do not attempt the final technical scope in the first visit; preserve what exists.

Freeze the project records

Download files from builder portals, email accounts and cloud links. Save the contract, certificate, approved plans, engineering, specifications, selections, variations, progress claims, receipts, inspection reports, certificates and correspondence in their original formats.

Contact the certifier and lender so they do not assume construction is continuing. Ask each to preserve their own inspection, valuation and approval records.

A more precise first-visit record

For each room, elevation, service area, stored material and temporary work, take a wide image to establish orientation, a medium image to show the component in context and a close image to show the condition. Record keys, access devices, hired equipment, loose materials and any third-party ownership claim before items are moved.

Notify not only icare HBCF but also the certifier, lender, relevant property insurer and solicitor where appropriate. Ask each party to preserve its own records and state any immediate requirements. General construction should not resume until site possession, authority and the emergency scope are clear.

Practical takeaway: In the first 48 hours, evidence and protection outrank speed. A disciplined pause can prevent both physical damage and a permanently weakened HBCF claim.

How ARK Houses can help

ARK Houses can attend the site at the beginning of the recovery, record its condition, identify urgent protection and establish the first issue register. The objective is to stabilise the building without destroying the evidence that later scopes and HBCF submissions will require.

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