subcontractors Archive

Many subcontractors feel increasingly hopeless about securing fair subcontract language, particularly in view of the shortage of profitable work during the economic downturn. While it is hard to walk away from work, sometimes it is better to lose a job than to do an unprofitable one.  So subcontractors would be wise to ask themselves these […]

Many of us have written articles on the most onerous (“Killer”) contract clauses encountered today, including “pay-if-paid,” “no lien” and other unfair provisions. But there has been much less focus on more obscure contract clauses that may not sound so bad – but can be crippling in their own right. Here are a few that […]

Why Does Retainage Exist? As subcontractors know all too well, retainage is an owner’s or higher-tier contractor’s practice of holding a predetermined percentage from each progress payment to the next-lower tier of subcontractors, and releasing the retained amounts only when a milestone such as “substantial completion” is reached. This practice has a dramatic effect on […]

It is a common saying that construction projects are “problems in progress.” Subcontractors, who often are the ones financing the project through their labor and materials, bear inordinate risk that the financial impact of any problems will fall on them. If you follow the commandments below you won’t eliminate problems, but you can set yourself […]

Don gives ten “Do’s” and Don’ts” suggestions to remember the next time your construction job is delayed. Read the full article from Ohio Asphalt Magazine.