01 · The problem
The extra work gets done. The client disputes the cost. You eat it.
Verbal agreements on site are the classic margin leak, and in three states the law puts a formality requirement around variations that a handshake doesn't satisfy.
5 business days, or it's an offence
A variation must be given to the owner in writing within 5 business days of agreement, or before the work starts, whichever is first (QBCC Act 1991 (Qld), Sch 1B s 40). Miss it and you've committed an offence, and good luck in a dispute. [verified 2026-09-28]
No signature, maybe no enforcement
A variation must be in writing and signed by both parties (Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), s 7E). Without both signatures the builder may be unable to enforce it. Courts have left builders with only a possible quantum meruit claim. [verified 2026-09-28, reported]
Five elements, signed consent
Builder-initiated variations need a 5-element written notice plus the owner's signed consent before giving effect (Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic), ss 37 to 38). Recovery can be barred unless VCAT finds exceptional circumstances. [verified 2026-09-28]
Your job-management app has a variation feature. It's in the office. The agreement happened on a roof at 3pm. Rule summaries here are general information only: state rules differ and law changes.
02 · How it works
Talk, snap, send. 60 seconds.
Phone-first, designed for gloves and glare, not a desktop feature you open later (or never). Read the full detail.
Talk
20-second voice note: what changed, what it costs. Snap a photo. The facts are yours; the app drafts from what you say.
Send
We draft the jurisdiction-shaped variation notice (QLD, NSW or VIC rules) and text your client a tap-to-sign link, valid 48 hours.
Signed and filed
Client tap-to-signs. Both signatures captured, document hash-logged, filed automatically, ready to roll into your next progress claim.
Honest alternative
The free way to record a variation
- A signed note can be enough. In NSW a variation must be in writing and signed by both parties (Home Building Act 1989, s 7E). A dated notebook page describing the change and the price, signed by you and the client, can satisfy the formality.
- Free templates. QBCC (Qld) and NSW Fair Trading publish free variation notice templates.
- Photograph everything. Timestamped photos of the site before and after the change cost nothing and win disputes.
VariaSnap is for builders who agree variations on roofs at 3pm and want the notice drafted, signed and filed before the paperwork dies in the ute. The free path works if you always get the signature the same day.
03 · Pricing
One flat price: A$29 a month. Unlimited variations.
14-day free trial, no card required. Then A$29 a month, AUD GST incl. Cancel anytime. For scale: a single $2,000 variation billed instead of eaten would cover 5+ years of the plan [illustrative arithmetic, not a revenue claim].
VARIASNAP MONTHLY
Flat. Unlimited variations. QLD, NSW and VIC domestic building rules. Tap-to-sign, hash-logged filing. Cancel anytime.
Our guarantee: full refund of the first month if VariaSnap does not produce a complete signed-and-filed variation workflow in your first 30 days, on request within 30 days. Full terms: terms.html#refund.
04 · Honest claims
What we will and won't say.
What VariaSnap does
A drafting aid that turns on-site facts into a structured, signed variation record, fast.
- Captures variation facts on site in about 60 seconds: voice note plus photo [unverified: design target]
- Drafts notices shaped to QLD, NSW and VIC domestic-building rules [verified 2026-09-28]
- Texts the client a tap-to-sign link and logs every step for the paper trail
- Tells you straight if you've already missed a statutory window: late and honest beats silent
- Refuses to proceed where it can't be confident: backdated or ambiguous cases are flagged, not improvised
What we don't claim
No fake testimonials, no countdowns, no scarcity theater, no invented recovered-revenue figures.
- We do not promise any client will sign within 48 hours. That is the behavioural gate we haven't proven [unverified]
- We do not guarantee any dollar amount recovered or dispute avoided
- We do not give legal advice: nothing produced is a law-firm opinion
- We are not a substitute for QBCC forms or your solicitor's review
- We are not for commercial-only work: different rules apply; talk to us first
05 · Rules encoded
The statutes we draft against.
General information only: rules as encoded at September 2026. Law changes; the app flags what it knows and escalates what it doesn't. Not legal advice.
| State | Rule | What the builder must do |
|---|---|---|
| QLD | QBCC Act 1991 (Qld), Sch 1B s 40 | Written copy to the owner before 5 business days elapse from agreement OR the variation work starts, whichever first; owner must agree in writing before work starts. Breach is an offence (max 20 penalty units). [verified 2026-09-28] |
| NSW | Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), ss 7, 7E | Variation in writing, signed by or on behalf of each party. The signature is the gate. No statutory clock, but no enforcement without it. [verified 2026-09-28, reported] |
| VIC | Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic), ss 37 to 38 | Builder-initiated: 5-element written notice plus owner's signed consent before giving effect. Owner-initiated: builder's cost/delay notice plus owner's signed request. [verified 2026-09-28] |
WA encoded as an expansion note only; SA/TAS/ACT/NT not encoded: research pending [unverified].
06 · Straight answers
No sales talk. Just answers.
What if the client won't sign?
What if I already missed the 5-day window (QLD)?
Does this replace my QBCC Form 5?
Can you guarantee the client will sign?
Is this legal advice?
What about electronic signatures?
Who is it not for?
The next variation happens on site. Capture it there.
14-day free trial, no card. Then A$29 a month, AUD GST incl. Unlimited variations. No legal theatre, no invented numbers: just a compliant paper trail that starts before the legal window closes.