Biggest roofing win turned loss: saved $5k on materials but client stiffed me

So I had this huge asphalt shingle job in the Carolinas, tore off the old GAF crap and installed CertainTeed Landmark with ice and water shield everywhere since these storms hit hard. Negotiated bulk pricing down to $5k off through my SupplyHouse hookup, thought I was golden with a 50% upfront. Crew finished in two weeks flat, but the homeowner ghosted on the final payment, claiming some BS about uneven ridges. Had to file a mechanics lien just to get paid, ate $2k in legal crap. Saw a similar rant in the Roofing Pros Facebook group last month, guys saying always get a lien waiver upfront. Anyone else had a win turn sour like this? TBH, makes me second-guess taking big residential gigs.

man that sucks, had a client pull the same stunt after we did a full tear-off on their ranch style.

lien waivers are non-negotiable now. fight me if you think otherwise.

always verify subs payments before final walkthrough.

same here brother, knees still ache from that job.

screw these homeowners, they're the real thieves in this trade.

felt that, lost a whole weekend chasing payment.

don't skip the detailed contract with milestones.

PSA: get everything in writing, photos of progress too.

insurance won't cover if you don't have the waiver.

how'd you find that SupplyHouse deal? need tips.

hit 200 roofs this year, no losses when I enforce upfront 70%.

PE firms buying up roofers just to screw independents like us.

yeah man, roofing life's too short for deadbeats.

those carolinas storms? yeah, add extra underlayment or regret it.

screw the clients, time to go commercial only.

watched a dmitry lipinskiy vid on this, he says lien first always.

don't rush the final inspection, that's where they nitpick.

client called cops on my crew once, total crap-show.

had a beer bottle fiasco on site, turned into a loss too lol.

frustrated as hell, same thing happened on my last GAF install.

customer thought their dog ate the invoice, hilarious but nah.

these deadbeat clients are killing small roofers, rise up.