The GC hasn't paid you

Start with your subcontract. Find when payment was due and on what condition, then ask in writing for the money with that clause quoted back. If it still doesn't come, your lien or bond rights are the strongest tool you have, and they run on short deadlines.

A plumber came up in a homeowner's thread: his rough-in had passed inspection, but the general contractor wouldn't pay him until the house passed final, months away. He filed a lien on the house, and now the homeowner was asking Reddit what had happened. Other subs describe the same money held up by "the owner hasn't paid me yet," by retainage that never gets released, or by pay applications that stall over paperwork.

Know which clause you signed

Pay-when-paid generally sets timing: the GC pays you within a reasonable time after the owner pays the GC. Pay-if-paid makes the owner's payment a condition, so if the owner never pays, the GC may not owe you. States treat these very differently. Some, including California, New York, Nevada and North Carolina, refuse to enforce pay-if-paid clauses; many others enforce them only when the wording is clear and unambiguous. Your attorney can tell you which kind you have and whether it holds in your state.

What to do

Ask in writing, quoting the payment clause, the amount and the date it was due.
Ask the GC directly whether the owner has paid for your work. On many projects you can ask the owner too.
Track your lien deadlines from your first day on the job. Many states require a preliminary notice early in the job to keep lien rights; missing it can lose them.
Check your state's prompt payment law. Many states set how fast a GC must pay a sub after being paid, often with interest when they don't.
For retainage, find the release condition in the subcontract and ask for it in writing the day that condition is met.

Next time

Tie each payment to something you can point at, like an inspection your work passed, not the whole building's final. Read the payment clause before you sign, and keep your quote's exclusions in the subcontract; see subcontract scope and exclusions.

Your payments tied to your work

Everkept works for a sub and a GC the same way it works for a homeowner: the payments are tied to your stages, the GC signs off each one, and both of you see what's due and what's late. The record is there if you need your lien rights.

Start a job

This is general information, not legal advice. States differ on what a home improvement contract and its changes must contain. Check with your state’s contractor licensing board or an attorney.