First In, Last Paid: Inside the 2026 State of Subcontractor Billing

Every subcontractor knows the feeling: first on the job, first to spend, and last to get paid. But for all the frustration, the real cost has gone largely uncounted, leaving subs to run on instinct while billing drags, retainage waits, and waiver Whac-a-Mole drains the cash they’ve already earned.

So we counted it, surveying 432 commercial subcontractors across the US.

In this on-demand webinar, we dig into what the numbers reveal about how subs bill, what slows their payments down, and—most importantly—the levers within their control to get paid faster.

How billing timelines, retainage waits, and payment delays stack up against the industry

The #1 cause of late payment (hint: it's not the GC), and how to fix it

Where lien waivers and missed lien deadlines are costing subs real money

The handful of changes that separate the subs who get paid sooner from everyone else