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can i get paid quickly if i didn't stipulate payment terms on estimate?

CaliforniaSubstantial Completion

i started a project putting in some parking lot lights. I am an electrical contractor. i casually asked the manager and person that hired me when i was going to get paid after finishing the project. he said 30 days to which i said i am used to getting paid immediately at completion of the project. how can i make sure they pay me quickly? Can i tell them they need to pay me right now for materials delivered to the job? can i hold the job hostage until they pay?

1 reply

Jan 11, 2021
Not really. If the contract doesn’t give a date for payment, the law assumes a “reasonable” time. 30 days is certainly reasonable. You could record a mechanic’s lien on the project but only if you had served the owner and general contractor with a Preliminary Notice. Next time make sure that your contract states the time for payment.
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