How long does SOPA adjudication take?
On default statutory timelines and with no public holidays, about seven weeks from payment claim to determination: 14 days for the payment response, 7 days of dispute settlement, up to 7 days to apply, 7 days for the adjudication response, and 14 days for the determination, or 7 days in specified cases. The respondent then has 7 days to pay. Statutory days exclude public holidays.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Security of Payment Act (SOPA) Singapore: Progress Payments and Adjudication for Owners and Contractors. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
Singapore's Security of Payment Act gives anyone who does construction work or supplies goods or services under a written contract a statutory right to progress payment. The claimant serves a payment claim; the respondent must reply with a payment response within the contract period (maximum 21 days) or 14 days; unresolved disputes go to fast adjudication at the Singapore Mediation Centre, enforceable as a court judgment.
More questions on this topic
- Does SOPA apply to my renovation or fit-out contract?
- What happens if the owner does not send a payment response?
- How much does adjudication cost?
- Can a contract avoid SOPA or use a pay-when-paid clause?
- Can the contractor stop work if it is not paid?
- Can an owner challenge an adjudication determination?
- Is a WhatsApp or email agreement a written contract for SOPA?