Subcontracting Nightmare: GCs Screwing Over Plumbers on Big Jobs

Man, I just read this thread on r/Plumbing about what tools changed everyone's plumbing life, and it got me thinking about how subcontracting setups are killing us in the field. We're out here in Texas so the jobs are huge, but these general contractors keep lowballing us on the PEX installs and water heater swaps, then stiff us on payments after we've hauled in the Milwaukee kits and Ridgid snakes. It's BS, they promise steady work on these multi-family builds with SharkBite fittings and Viega presses, but then delay invoices for months while we're sweating over code-compliant rough-ins. Saw a similar rant in the Plumbers United Facebook group last week, guys sharing stories of getting ghosted after finishing the drain lines. Watched a Roger Wakefield video on efficient sub work, but it doesn't help when the GC vanishes with the check. Who's got tips for locking in better contracts?

Same here, GCs are the worst.

I'm up in Minnesota and these GCs think they can pay plumbers last after everyone's done.

Out here in Arizona the heat makes it worse, waiting on payments while AC bills pile up.

File a mechanics lien ASAP, that's what saved my ass on a similar sub gig with PEX runs.

GCs in Georgia here treat subs like dirt.

Pacific Northwest, so yeah the rain is real, but the payment delays are worse.

I'm down in Louisiana, and it's the same crap with every commercial plumbing sub.

These big GCs use subs like disposable tools.

Working out of Nashville, GCs promise the world then pay in IOUs.

Jersey contractor here, been doing this 20 years, and GCs still try to pull that.

I work mostly in rural Ohio, small jobs but same payment BS from GCs.

South Florida, everything rusts including these deals.

We're right on the Gulf, humidity makes waiting hell.

I cover the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and it's nonstop sub headaches.

Pennsylvania, old houses everywhere, but GCs make new builds a nightmare.

I'm in the Carolinas, GCs lowball on fixture installs then ghost.

Central California, mostly ag and ranch work, but commercial subs suck.

I'm in the panhandle, wind or no wind, payments blow.

Upstate New York winters hit different, and so do GC delays.

Phoenix area, slow season doesn't really exist but payments do.

Out in rural Kentucky, GCs treat us like beginners.

I'm based in the Pacific Northwest, rain delays and payment delays.

Working in the Houston suburbs, oil money but no sub pay.

I'm in western Michigan, GCs freeze us out.

Been doing this in Virginia for 15 years, same old story.

Out in New Mexico, desert dry but deals are wet.

I cover most of eastern Tennessee, GCs mountain high egos.

Oregon coast, everything rots faster out here including contracts.

I'm in the DC area, bureaucracy on top of GC BS.

Working out of San Antonio, heat and headaches.

Nebraska, not a lot of competition which is nice, but GCs still suck.

I'm in western Pennsylvania, coal country attitudes.

Southern Ohio here, hills and payment hills.

Idaho, mostly residential, but sub commercial is rough.

I work the Tampa Bay area, bay waters rise but payments don't.

Based out of Kansas City, BBQ good, deals bad.

I'm in north Georgia, mountains of excuses from GCs.

Central Texas, drought is making everything worse including cash flow.

I'm up in Maine, cold waits for no one.

Working in suburban Maryland, traffic and delays.

Been in Las Vegas for 12 years, slots pay better than GCs.

I do mostly commercial in downtown Chicago, wind city blows hot air.

Rural Arkansas here, backwoods BS from city GCs.

I work the Raleigh-Durham market, tech boom but plumber doom.

Out in the high desert of New Mexico, dry runs on pay.

I'm in the Ozarks, twisty roads and twisty deals.

Working in coastal Virginia, tides in, money out.

I cover the greater Atlanta area, traffic jams and payment jams.

I'm in western Colorado, high altitude low payments.

Been doing this in Oklahoma my whole life, tornadoes of trouble.

Proud of the times I got paid on time, rare as hen's teeth.

What contract templates do you use for subs?

Customer called mid-job, thought the sub was a snake in the drain.

Finally locked in a good GC rate, $150/hr flat.

I'm down in Louisiana and these GCs think they own us.

Don't sign without 50% upfront.

Out here in Arizona the subs union up or get screwed.

SharkBites for subs only, fight me.

Guy in Plumbers United said the same.

Humor in the pain, right?

We chase, they cash in.

Saw a Tommy Mello clip on sub negotiations, gold.

Same boat, different leak.

Frustrated doesn't cover it.

GCs are vampires.

Payments late, jobs great... not.

We all bleed the same on these gigs.