[AaronJ]

I was wondering if other electrical contractors submit an invoice right away before doing any work? For materials, labor and other expenses that will occur within a couple weeks. That way your not waiting until the following month to submit that invoice and waiting another month to collect on it.

Also does anyone require any type of deposit? I'm doing retail/restaurant work

Thanks

 

[wcord]

Would be nice, but it will never happen here.

 

[HARRY304E]

I was wondering if other electrical contractors submit an invoice right away before doing any work? For materials, labor and other expenses that will occur within a couple weeks. That way your not waiting until the following month to submit that invoice and waiting another month to collect on it.

Also does anyone require any type of deposit? I'm doing retail/restaurant work

Thanks

You must have them sign before you turn a screw.

GC's cannot be trusted ever.

 

[480sparky]

I have no set of rules.

Some GCs are billed at certain intervals of the project (rough-in, finish, service, etc.) Some are billed on a weekly or monthly basis.

I just work with 'em and ask how they handle billing their customers.

 

[AaronJ]

I have no set of rules.

Some GCs are billed at certain intervals of the project (rough-in, finish, service, etc.) Some are billed on a weekly or monthly basis.

I just work with 'em and ask how they handle billing their customers.

I have billed right off the bat before, others its like pulling teeth to get paid even 2 months waiting. Just wondering if any one had a standard procedure that they use.

 

[chicken steve]

Easy

don't want quick & pay slow

oh and, you can get all the signatures, paperwork, dna, etc

won't do you much good

~CS~

 

[macmikeman]

I have rules. Here they are: GC's are liars. That is the rule. Even the ones who drive around displaying the Holy Spirit Fish sticker on the back window of their Toyota Tacoma dressed up pickup truck with the airfoil pipe racks, that go to rattlesnake sermons every Sunday morning. They lie too. So get money up front, and every time you can, before doing more work. Make em pay all the thru the job up front and let them depend on you finishing not depend on them to pay you after you are all finished.

 

[chicken steve]

Yes Mac & Harry

GC's are all evil minions of satan , we just break off their tails and horns @ birth ....

~CS~

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I have never asked for money ahead of time but I am very careful who I work for-- if the builder has questionable integrity then I wont work for them.

 

[CopperSlave]

I have never asked for money ahead of time but I am very careful who I work for-- if the builder has questionable integrity then I wont work for them.

Sadly, that particular trait often reveals itself, only after the contract has been signed.

 

[dawgs]

I was wondering if other electrical contractors submit an invoice right away before doing any work? For materials, labor and other expenses that will occur within a couple weeks. That way your not waiting until the following month to submit that invoice and waiting another month to collect on it.

Also does anyone require any type of deposit? I'm doing retail/restaurant work

Thanks

Depending on size of job. We invoice for mobilization up front. The. Progress billing each month depending on schedule of values. Always front load your mobilization. It will give you extra working capital until your next billing cycle.

 

[just the cowboy]

after I placed order

Never did it for labor but when ordering PLC, HMI's or other high dollar items I would charge up front when order was placed. Most times check came in time. Also with some companys that had 60 or 90 day pay I would offer them a 5% discount if payed in 15 days ( then raised rate 10% because I hated 90 day pay companies)

 

[Tiger]

The GCs that I have worked for in the past have paid when they wanted to regardless of the payment terms of the contract. Now I require large advances as I typically do with my residential service clients. This is unacceptable to almost all GCs, so I don't work for them.

The last GC I worked for wanted me to do a change and the final before I received the rough payment. I said "You are holding up your project". His wife came to my office with a check, looked pissed and declined to respond to my "hello". That was our first and last project.

 

[ProLectric]

Even the GC's you think are good can go bad. Never trust them, collect enough upfront to cover yourself. Sorry to say that, but the only person I have not been able to collect from was a GC with a solid track record. Thought we could trust him. But turns out we can't. Sorry deal!

 

[macmikeman]

Oh but wait Pro, Chicken Steve said different , and we all know how he is a leader of the electrical business world. I bet he even grosses up to ten grand a year by golly!