Builder deposits: South Australia
What is true everywhere is on the main page. This page covers what is specific to South Australia.
South Australia regulates deposits for domestic building work under the Building Work Contractors Act 1995, administered by Consumer and Business Services.
Why there are no figures on this page
We could not reach a South Australian government source we could read and confirm on the day we compiled this, so we are not going to print a percentage. Figures for South Australia do circulate, and the written-contract threshold was reported as changing during 2025 — which is exactly the situation in which repeating a number found second-hand is how a wrong figure spreads.
Consumer and Business Services is the authority on what applies to your contract. Ask them for the current deposit limit for your contract price before you pay anything, and ask in the same call what the limit is on payments before work starts.
We have not verified a current deposit figure for South Australia against a government source we could read, so we are not going to print one. Consumer and Business Services is the authority on what applies to your contract.
Questions about South Australia deposits
What is the maximum deposit in South Australia?
We have not verified a current figure from a South Australian government source we could read, so we are not going to state one. Consumer and Business Services can tell you the limit that applies to your contract price.
Why won't you just quote the number?
Because figures for South Australia circulate second-hand and the written-contract threshold was reported as changing during 2025. Repeating an unverified number is how a wrong one spreads, and you would be relying on it to decide what to pay.