How do I get paid by a general contractor who isn't paying my invoices?
How to get paid by a general contractor who isn't paying — what actually works
Short answer
First, determine whether your contract has a 'pay-when-paid' or 'pay-if-paid' clause — these affect your rights significantly. Then escalate directly to the GC's project manager, not just the accounts payable team. Your real leverage is mechanics lien rights, which must be preserved with preliminary notice filed early in the project — often within 20 to 30 days of starting work.
Collecting from a general contractor is a different animal from collecting from a direct client. The GC sits in the middle of a payment chain, waiting on the owner before they pay you. Two clauses tend to govern this: "pay-when-paid" (the GC pays after receiving payment from the owner, but still owes you eventually) and "pay-if-paid" (the GC only owes you if and when the owner pays them). Pay-if-paid clauses are much stronger for the GC and are enforceable in most states.
Re-read your subcontract and figure out which clause applies. With pay-when-paid, ask the GC for documentation of when they received or expect payment from the owner. That gives you a timeline for when your payment is due. With pay-if-paid, you may need to understand the owner-GC dispute itself before you know where you stand.
Your real leverage is mechanics lien rights. A lien on the property clouds the title and stops the owner from selling or refinancing until it's cleared, which puts pressure on the owner directly and on the GC indirectly. Lien rights usually require a preliminary notice filed early in the project, typically within 20 to 30 days of starting work depending on the state. If you didn't file that notice at the start of the job, check your state's rules right now.
On smaller jobs, escalating to the GC's senior project manager moves things faster than emailing AP. Project managers care about subcontractor relationships because they need them on future jobs. AP is just running a queue. A conversation between project managers about a specific invoice and a specific date beats an invoice sitting in an AP inbox.
A Notice of Intent to Lien (a formal warning that you will file a mechanics lien if payment is not received by a specific date) often produces quick action. Both the GC and the owner have strong reasons to avoid a recorded lien. This is a standard tool in construction subcontracting, not an aggressive move. Not legal advice.