💰 Payment & Legal

Getting paid is the hardest part of construction. Know your rights, protect your receivables, and understand the contracts you're signing.

In This Section

Getting Paid

• Lien Law Basics — Your most powerful tool for getting paid
• Pay Applications — Submit clean apps, get paid faster
• Retainage — How retention works and when you get it back
• Collections — What to do when they won't pay
• Stop Notices — Freeze construction funds to secure payment
• Joint Checks — When and how joint check agreements work

Contracts

• Contract Basics — What every contractor needs to understand
• AIA Contracts — Navigating the most common contract forms
• Contract Negotiation — Red flags and leverage points
• Change Orders — Protect scope and margin on extra work
• Time & Materials — T&M billing and documentation
• Indemnification — Understanding risk transfer clauses
• Dispute Resolution — Mediation, arbitration, and litigation

Financial Protection

• WIP Reporting — Work-in-progress reports for accurate financials
• Payment Bonds — When bonds protect (or don't protect) you
• Bonding — Getting bonded and maintaining bonding capacity
• Insurance — Construction insurance essentials

Specialized

• Certified Payroll — WH-347 compliance for government work
• RFI Management — Requests for information that protect your scope

State-Specific Lien Law

• Texas Lien Law — Texas-specific lien rights and deadlines
• Florida Lien Law — Florida-specific lien rights and deadlines
• New York Lien Law — New York-specific lien rights and deadlines