The people who come between us contractors and the money are doing the same thing they have always done. Coming up with new ways to keep our money. It is not enough that they just pay way too little of the amount that is available. How does a company pay $7 on a wall fish that they charge $70 for? It is the subcontractors truck , insurance, tools, labor, and he sets up the job. Now he gets 10% of the total, while the company who actually did NOTHING but ACKNOWLEDGE the job was done takes 90%??!?!!!?! WTF! That is just a small part of it, all installation costs go up, while pay goes down. Insurance requirements etc.. are now ridiculous, with the primes paying 0% of the cost. Meanwhile, the pay goes down for subs across the board.
Now it is common for Primes to make up new excuses not to pay. Oh, you were late for the appointment, you don't get paid. Oh, really, did YOU get paid? Then I get paid. Period. Screw the appointment time. Is the job done? Was a check issued? Then you pay me. No excuses. There was a company in Houston who it was discovered did not have the proper insurances. A Prime withheld over $90000 of their money and never paid it due to this. Was the work done? Yes! Was the check issued to the Prime? Yes! Did they pay the people who actually did the work? NO!!!!! 15 employees shorted $6000 each because of this. I think this is probably grounds for one of those "insanity" defenses.
The first couple days after the storm, there were ads for $38 Drop replacements. Next day, it was $35, Next day, $25, Now what is it, $12 and you better not complain? When you get there, there are so many "installers" that you are lucky to get 5 jobs a day, no per diem, no place to stay, and the job is over in one week. Kiss my but punks, install your own drops if you want to keep the money.
