Contractor guide · Unpaid work
What can a contractor do if not paid?
Start by confirming when payment was due, saving proof of the work, and sending a clear written payment request. If that fails, compare the dispute process in your contract with collection agencies, small-claims court, or legal help. The right option depends on your agreement, location, and amount owed.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
1. Confirm the amount and payment deadline
Read the contract, work order, and invoice together. Check whether approval, a sign-off, or other agreed conditions are still outstanding. Compare the amount promised with deposits actually received, and ask for the written reason for any hold or deduction. Separate an overdue payment from a disagreement about the work.
2. Preserve the evidence
- The contract or work order, including payment and dispute terms
- The invoice number, due date, original amount, and unpaid balance
- Completion photos, check-in/out records, and signed acceptance
- Dated messages, support tickets, and explanations for deductions
- Payment statements and a short timeline of what happened
Keep originals and dated copies before records change. Use the payment dispute timeline and evidence guide to organize the file, or the dispute organizer to structure your account of events.
3. Send a factual written payment request
Identify the work order and invoice, work completed, amount still owed, and agreed due date. Attach the relevant evidence and request payment or a written explanation by a reasonable date. Use any notice method required by your contract and keep proof that you sent it.
Invoice [number] for work completed on [date] was due on [date]. The unpaid balance is [amount]. Please arrange payment or explain any disputed amount in writing by [reply date]. Attached are the invoice and completion records.
Do not add a new fee or interest rate simply because payment is late. Check whether your agreement and applicable law support it first.
4. Follow the contract’s dispute process
For platform work, open a formal payment dispute and save the ticket number and responses. Check notice requirements, arbitration clauses, and time limits before escalating. The guide’s suggested timeline does not replace a shorter contractual or legal deadline.
5. Compare your recovery options
- Collection agency: compare fees, licensing requirements, and the documents needed before agreeing to a referral.
- Small-claims court: check the appropriate court’s amount limit, filing requirements, and whether your contract affects this option; winning does not guarantee payment.
- Attorney or arbitration: consider these when the contract requires arbitration, the amount is substantial, or the dispute is complicated.
- Construction-specific remedies: ask a local attorney whether lien or bond rights apply to your work; do not assume they apply to every contractor or platform job.
Work through the unpaid invoice collections checklist before handing over the debt. Do not remove installed materials, damage completed work, or threaten a customer as a way to force payment.
6. If recovery is unlikely, review the write-off options
Compare the likely recovery with the cost and effort of pursuing it. A bookkeeping write-off is not automatically a tax deduction: your accounting method and whether you already reported the income matter. Keep your collection records and consult a tax professional before claiming a deduction. Read the debt write-off guide for tax and accounting steps.
7. Record a Field Nation unpaid invoice claim
If your dispute involves Field Nation, you can use the free claim form to start documenting your experience for the investigation. After creating and confirming your account, complete your membership details and add your supporting records. Submitting information is not a court filing, does not guarantee payment or a settlement, and does not stop any legal or contractual deadline.