Not Paid on a Job? What Contractors, Subs and Suppliers Should Do Now

When a job goes sideways, the money usually stops first. Then the excuses start: the owner hasn't paid the GC, the inspector flagged something, the check is "in the mail." Meanwhile you've paid your crew and your supplier.

Here's what I tell contractors to do as soon as a payment is late.

1. Don't wait for the end of the job.

Kentucky's lien and notice rules are strict about timing, and some steps come up sooner than people expect. If you wait until the job is finished to find out where you stand, you may already have lost an option.

2. Pull your paperwork into one folder.

  • The contract, proposal or purchase order, signed if you have it

  • Every change order, including the ones agreed by text or email

  • Invoices and pay applications

  • Payment history: what was paid, when, and by whom

  • Lien waivers you've signed

  • The date you first worked or delivered on the job, and the date you last did

  • Names of the owner, the general contractor and anyone above you in the chain

3. Write down the dates.

First and last day on the job are the dates that matter most for lien and notice questions. A delivery ticket or daily log is better than memory.

4. Put it in writing.

Keep asking for payment by email, not just by phone. Be professional and specific: the invoice number, the amount, the date it was due.

5. Be careful with lien waivers.

Read every waiver before you sign it to get a check. Some waive more than the payment you're receiving.

6. Read the payment terms on your next contract.

Pay-when-paid language, retainage, the change-order process and the dispute clause decide a lot of these fights before they start. A contract is much easier to fix before you sign than after.

If you haven't been paid, call while you still have choices. I handle payment and contract disputes for contractors, subcontractors and suppliers in Louisville.

When you call, you get me. (502) 234-1056

This article is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Reading it does not make Green Law Office PLLC your lawyer.