Siteline

How do experienced subcontractors decide which GCs are worth working for? Tara Cristel of Total Glass LLC, Martin Press of Press Mechanical Contractors, Inc., and Dick Roberts of DTR LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT LLC share how they vet a GC before taking the job. https://lnkd.in/eGhR4nuC

Hawaii gives you 45 days to file a mechanic's lien. New York gives you 8 months. California requires both preliminary notice and notice of intent. The differences go far beyond deadlines—notarization, who can file, how to serve notice, etc. Before you rely on general guidance, confirm what's required in the state where your project actually sits. https://lnkd.in/e3SUTh2H

Ready to slash your A/R aging? 🔪 Join us October 14 for our Nightmare on A/R Street webinar, where we’ll break down how to: ⚡ Figure out which outstanding invoices need attention first ⚡ Build a follow-up cadence that keeps payments moving ⚡ Know when it’s time to escalate—and who to involve ⚡ Protect your leverage when payment keeps dragging Register by below.👇️ https://lnkd.in/eQNVTf-a

Ask our two latest podcast guests how they make sure they get paid, and much of the answer comes back to the relationships they've built over decades in the industry. That's a lot harder to replicate, though, if you're a sub who's just starting out. On Episode 4 of Billing & Chilling, Claire Wilson sat down with Martin Press, founder and president of Press Mechanical Contractors, Inc., and Dick Roberts, president of DTR LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT LLC—two friends she's gotten to know well through American Subcontractors Association National. They share lessons from their combined 80 years of running subcontracting businesses, from vetting GCs—and the owners behind them—to knowing when to walk away from a job. They also get into the parts of the system that still work against subs. These include third-party pre-qualification platforms that charge subs for the right to bid, pay-when-paid clauses that undercut prompt pay laws, and retainage that ties up cash for months or years. Martin's message to the industry is simple: stop accepting the status quo. "That's the way we've always done it. That's not an answer." 🎧 Watch or listen to Episode 4, "How Subcontractors Can Level the Playing Field," here (or wherever you stream): https://lnkd.in/ewDcV59E

GCs vet subcontractors before awarding work. Our latest article makes the case for returning the favor, and it lays out a practical checklist for vetting a GC before committing your crews and your cash. https://lnkd.in/eGhR4nuC

Your aging report says one invoice can wait. Your lien calendar might say otherwise. Lien deadlines don’t necessarily follow the same timeline as collections, which means a newer or smaller receivable could become far more urgent if waiting puts your payment rights at risk. And with 56% of subcontractors reporting that they’ve missed a critical mechanic’s lien deadline in the past two years, that context matters. Here are five factors to consider when deciding what to chase first.👇️ https://lnkd.in/gE4vbwsJ

Retainage reform is gaining ground, and the American Subcontractors Association National is helping push it forward. In her latest Founder Note, Claire Wilson looks at what’s changing—including a retainage-bond effort fellow ASA board member Martin Press is helping lead—and what it could mean for subs. https://lnkd.in/epqnYUQq

Most subcontractors focus on filing a mechanic's lien and skip the one step that actually protects it: sending a preliminary notice. But in states that require one, sending it late (or not at all) can forfeit your lien rights before a payment problem ever surfaces. Don't learn this lesson the hard way—check out this blog post before the next job kicks off. https://lnkd.in/e3SUTh2H

Most subcontractors will negotiate harder over a $50,000 truck than a $5 million contract. Why? Because they know they’re getting the truck. With the contract, they’re worried that pushing back could cost them the job. Construction attorney Neil Wilcove has spent more than 25 years helping contractors navigate exactly this kind of risk. On Episode 3 of Billing & Chilling, he joins Siteline's Claire Wilson to talk about what subcontractors should understand—and where they should push back—before signing on the dotted line. They get into the contract terms Neil pays closest attention to, including indemnity, pay-if-paid, and retainage; why subs should ask to see the GC’s prime contract; and how state laws can change the risk you’re taking on from one project to the next. And, because no conversation is complete these days without AI, they talk about where it can help, and where contractors need to be careful. 🤖 🎧 Watch or listen to Episode 3, “The Three Contract Terms Subcontractors Should Negotiate,” here (or wherever you stream): https://lnkd.in/g6kUQ7Sd

Your oldest invoice isn’t always the one you should chase first. A newer balance might represent significantly more cash, a GC may have missed a promised payment date, or a lien deadline could be approaching. The trick is knowing which signals actually make a receivable urgent. Here are five factors subcontractors can use to prioritize their A/R aging report and focus collections efforts where they matter most. https://lnkd.in/gE4vbwsJ