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. Drawing on that data, Claire Wilson breaks down what the numbers reveal about how subs bill, what slows their payments down, and—most importantly—the levers within your control to get paid faster.