A subcontractor whose GC is 60 days past the invoice date gets paid faster with a dated written schedule than with more calls. Send a reminder on day 1 past due, a firm status request on day 15, an owner-to-owner call and letter on day 30, and a final notice on day 45, after checking your state's lien deadlines.
The Chase the Invoices skill drafts each of these follow-ups for you to review, and it never sends them on its own.
This is general information, not legal or financial advice.
Why does a late GC invoice need a schedule instead of more calls?
A schedule turns a vague "we'll get to it" into a paper trail with dates. Calls leave no record, and the person who promised payment can forget. A common pattern is a PM saying the check is "in process" while weeks pass. Written follow-ups go to the person who actually releases payment, usually accounts payable, and they create the record you need if the account ever goes past friendly.
Start with the basics. Confirm the GC received the invoice, that it matches the approved pay app or change order, and that lien waivers or certified payroll they asked for are attached. A missing waiver is one of the most common reasons a payment sits.
What should I send on day 1 and day 15?
Day 1 past due is a reminder, not a complaint. Keep it short and assume a mix-up.
- Day 1: Email accounts payable and copy your PM contact. Attach the invoice and the approved pay app. Script: "Invoice 1042 for $48,000 on the Maple Street job was due yesterday. Can you confirm it is scheduled and share the expected payment date?"
- Day 15: Ask for a status in writing and a named person. Script: "We have not received payment on invoice 1042, now 15 days past due. Please reply with the check or ACH date, or tell me what document is holding it up."
- Log every send: date, recipient, and any reply. A one-line spreadsheet row is enough.
If the GC says they are waiting on the owner's draw, ask when the draw was submitted and when they expect funds. That date tells you whether this is a cash flow lag or a dispute.
What changes at day 30 and day 45?
Day 30 is when the owner of your company gets involved directly. Call the GC's owner or controller, not the PM, and follow the call with a letter that restates what was said. Name the amount, the days past due, and the payment date they gave you.
Day 45 is a final written notice. State the amount, the original due date, any late charge your contract allows, and the next step you will take on a set date. Only list steps you are actually ready to take, such as pausing new work on that GC's jobs or filing whatever notice your state allows. Empty threats teach the GC to wait you out.
On a federal job, the rules are clearer than on most private work. The FAR 52.232-27 payment clause requires the prime to pay subcontractors within 7 days of receiving payment for satisfactory work, and to pay an interest penalty when it does not. Treasury lists the Prompt Payment interest rate for July 1 to December 31, 2026 as 4.75%. Many states have their own prompt payment and lien laws for public and private jobs, with deadlines that can be short. Find your state's statute on its official .gov site and check with an attorney before relying on it.
What does the worked example look like?
Example only, with made-up numbers. A framing sub bills $48,000 on net 30 terms. The GC pays nothing by day 30 past due, which is day 60 from the invoice. At that point the sub has covered two payroll cycles of about $9,500 each and $6,200 in lumber out of pocket, so $25,200 of its own cash is tied up in one job. The contract allows 1.5% per month on past-due balances, which would be $720 a month on $48,000. On day 30 past due the owner calls the GC's controller, learns the pay app was missing a conditional lien waiver, sends it that afternoon, and gets an ACH date 10 days out. The day 45 notice never goes out.
The fix was a missing document, not a fight. That is why day 1 and day 15 ask what is holding the payment up.
How do I keep this from happening on the next job?
Tighten the front end. Put payment terms, the late charge, and the documents required with each pay app in the subcontract before you mobilize. Ask the GC who in accounts payable approves sub payments and get a direct email. Bill on the GC's cutoff date, not yours. The SBA guide to managing your finances is a useful checklist for planning around slow payers.
If you would rather not write every follow-up yourself, the Chase the Invoices skill drafts a dated reminder sequence for you to review and send yourself.
For cash gaps while a big invoice is late, the contractor funding guide compares options, and where to get business funding lists the main paths.
If you are also waiting on retainage, see the retainage cash plan.
