Chapter 9: Pay When Paid Clauses
Chapter 9 of Quit Getting Screwed, by Karalynn Cromeens Lioncrest Publishing Pop quiz: Who is in the best position to finance a construction project? If you answered, “The owner,” you’d be right. While the owner normally obtains funds from a bank to pay for construction, they are not the ones who finance the project. The […]
Chapter 8: Daily Reports
Chapter 8 of Quit Getting Screwed, by Karalynn Cromeens Lioncrest Publishing “That is a lie,” Chris from Super Everything Subcontractor whispered to me while in trial. Chris’s company had been sued for more than $700,000 for the cost to complete a project they were forced to abandon. The project manager was testifying on how Chris’s […]
Chapter 7: Submittals/As Builts
Chapter 7 of Quit Getting Screwed, by Karalynn Cromeens Lioncrest Publishing The judge read the jury’s verdict, a judgment against my client, Super Door Subcontractor, for $150,000. All I could think was if my client had had something in writing approving the doors they installed, none of this would have happened. Before Susan with Super […]
Chapter 6: Prior Work/Field Conditions
Chapter 6 of Quit Getting Screwed, by Karalynn Cromeens Lioncrest Publishing “Why did they sue me?” Linda from Super Paint Subcontractor asked me. “I’m the painting subcontractor; I had nothing to do with the issues with the drywall!” Linda’s company had been sued by a general contractor on a project they had already finished. The […]
Chapter 5: Do Not Sign A Personal Guarantee
Chapter 5 of Quit Getting Screwed, by Karalynn Cromeens Lioncrest Publishing “How could they get my personal bank account?” Kelly from Super Electrical Subcontractor asked me desperately. She was checking out at a grocery store when her card was declined. After she embarrassedly left the grocery store, she called her bank to find out what […]
Chapter 4: Scope of Work
Chapter 4 of Quit Getting Screwed, by Karalynn Cromeens Lioncrest Publishing “They can’t deduct $23,000 from what they owe me for lintels; I never agreed to provide the lintels,” Jeff said in a panic. “Structural steel subcontractors never provide the lintels; the masonry subcontractor would provide those.” Jeff owns Super Structural Steel Fabrication & Erection Subcontractor. […]
Chapter 3: Subcontractor Bonds
Chapter 3 of Quit Getting Screwed, by Karalynn Cromeens Lioncrest Publishing Super AC Subcontractor was awarded their biggest subcontract ever: $3 million. All they had to do before starting was to obtain a payment bond and a performance bond for the full amount of its subcontract. This was a requirement, so they did it. After they […]
Chapter 2: Subcontract Documents
Chapter 2 of Quit Getting Screwed, by Karalynn Cromeens Lioncrest Publishing The first rule about subcontracts is…there are no rules. Whatever you sign in a subcontract will be used against you. “What do you mean I have to pay delay damages of $500 per day for every day the completion date is delayed? That was not […]
Chapter 1: The Bid
Chapter 1 The Bid “I did not agree to do the electrical work. I never agree to do the electrical work.” That’s what Josh from Super Door Subcontractor told me after the general contractor on his community college project had sent him a notice of default letter. The letter demanded that he return to the […]