BuildFair

Overview

BuildFair is a payment platform for Australian residential building projects, bringing project funds, invoices and progress tracking into one workflow. It suits builders coordinating owners and subcontractors around project payments; its strongest case is shared visibility, not dispute resolution or commercial construction.

Key features

Project funds are held by Kobble, operated by Yondr Money Pty Ltd under AFSL 545391. BuildFair says it neither holds nor directly accesses customer funds. Approved builder and subcontractor invoices are paid from project funds, with a seven-day period after approval. This links payment to project rules, but the platform does not adjudicate disputes when parties disagree about a claim.

Builder subscriptions bring together subcontractor and supplier management, invoice approvals, progress payment schedules, bank reconciliation, quoting, contracts, variation and defect tracking, and audit exports. That breadth can reduce the need to coordinate these steps separately. Owners join by invitation at no extra cost and can see claims, approvals, payments and remaining funds; subcontractors can submit invoices, upload documents and track payment status. The shared view is useful when several parties need to follow the same payment process.

Audit trail exports are compatible with Xero, MYOB and other major Australian accounting packages, while API integration is available to enterprise customers. BuildFair describes a double-entry, hash-chained ledger, encryption in transit and at rest, multi-factor authentication and regular penetration testing. Sumsub verifies builders, subcontractors, owners and suppliers before they transact. Data is stored on Australian-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure, and project records are retained for seven years; audit trails and cashflow records can be exported before or after cancellation.

Pricing

The free Owner plan is for people invited to a project by a builder and gives them project access at no charge. It is not a standalone builder plan. Paid subscriptions have a 12-month minimum for monthly billing, so the monthly prices should not be mistaken for short-term commitments.

The lower builder tier caps coverage at five projects per subscription year; Tier 2 raises that ceiling to ten. Annual billing requires paying the full year upfront. Supplier and Enterprise pricing is custom, so those plans need a direct pricing discussion.

Platforms

BuildFair is available on the web. Its single-country payout coverage and Australian residential focus make it a poor fit for teams needing a multi-country payment platform or commercial construction workflows.

Who it's for

BuildFair is best suited to Australian residential builders who want to coordinate project funds, approvals and progress schedules while giving owners and subcontractors visibility into payment status. Subcontractors who need invoice submission and payment tracking may also find the role-based subscription useful. Owners benefit from access without an extra charge when invited by a builder.

It is not the right choice for commercial construction, users seeking a shorter paid commitment, or parties expecting the software to resolve payment disputes. Builder support is available by email and phone, with enquiries receiving a response within one business day.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Owners and subcontractors can follow claims, approvals and payment status in the same project view, reducing uncertainty across project participants.
• Pro: Builder tiers combine payment workflows with quoting, contracts, reconciliation, variation and defect tracking, and audit exports.
• Pro: Kobble holds project funds rather than BuildFair, and the platform describes verification, security controls and seven-year project-record retention.
• Con: Paid monthly subscriptions carry a 12-month minimum, while annual options require full-year upfront payment.
• Con: It serves Australian residential construction, not commercial projects or multi-country payouts.
• Con: BuildFair does not adjudicate disputes, so payment disagreements still need another resolution path.

Alternatives

For a broader set of contractor payment options, browse Contractor Payment Software.

Cleo Pay has a free Get Paid plan for vendors and contractors with one user seat and unlimited incoming payments, but no outbound payments; consider it when incoming payments matter more than BuildFair's construction-specific project controls. PayWow offers free contractor payroll with unlimited contractors, limited reports and check payments, making it an option when payroll is the priority. Zoho Payroll has a free plan for up to 10 employees with basic payroll and email support, and a free trial; choose it when employee payroll is a closer fit than construction project fund handling. Petl Pay is another freemium option for readers comparing contractor payment tools.

Payoneer Payer is another option for businesses comparing payment services. Plane Contractor Management offers a free HRIS platform with contractor and employee directories, guided hiring and onboarding, custom reports, holidays and time tracking; it is the more relevant direction when workforce administration is the need. IRIS Practice Engine and TLC IT are further alternatives to compare.

Verdict

Choose BuildFair if you run Australian residential projects and need builders, owners and subcontractors to work from a shared payment and progress workflow. Its combination of fund handling, project controls and participant visibility is the main reason to choose it. Look elsewhere for commercial work, dispute adjudication, international payouts or a paid commitment shorter than a year.