Construction’s Cash Crunch: Contractors Now Accepting Payment in IOUs, Sandwiches, and Tears

Homeless Man With Cardboard Sign Nets More Weekly Income Than Licensed Subcontractor

Homeless Banter

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Dirty Dan made more money last week than most Construction Contractors.

In breaking news that shocks no one except billionaires and office people who think “NET 90” is a yoga pose, the American construction industry has confirmed it’s being financially kneecapped—not by inflation, not by tariffs, not even by Chad forgetting to order rebar again—but by the ancient dark art of never paying anyone on time.

According to a new study from Built (no, not the protein bar), 70% of U.S. contractors are regularly paid late, and the other 30% are too busy selling their tools on Craigslist to make rent.

Construction Cash Flow: More Like a Construction Trickle

If you thought the biggest threat to construction was supply chain delays or skilled labor shortages, lol no. Turns out, the real silent killer is developers ghosting contractors like a bad Tinder date right after the slab pour.

Key findings from the survey include:

• 70% of contractors face delayed payments, while the other 30% have ascended into a zen-like state of financial nihilism.

• 76% are offering discounts just to get paid faster, including one guy who offered to do roofing “in exchange for a Costco hot dog and eye contact.”

• Only 1 in 4 are satisfied with their back-office tech, which in many cases is powered by duct tape, despair, and Brenda’s Excel spreadsheet from 2008.

Meanwhile, a guy with a cardboard sign that says “HONESTLY JUST WANT BEER” made $246 in under 3 hours outside a Home Depot. Contractors everywhere are reconsidering career paths.

Contractors Delays Set Off a Beautiful Chain Reaction of Doom

When one check is late, the entire jobsite ecosystem falls apart faster than a TikTok drywall tutorial.

• Contractors inflate their bids by 8%, which is contractor-speak for “I’m tired of being lied to.”

• 35% of projects get delayed or canceled, usually after three meetings, 94 emails, and someone yelling “It’s in the budget!” before promptly disappearing.

• 60% won’t bid on jobs from slow-paying developers, unless they include a blood oath and proof of liquid assets.

One contractor reportedly waited so long for a payment, he accidentally built a second house next door out of boredom and spite.

Modern Tech, Ancient Payment Systems

The government is phasing out paper checks. Meanwhile, half the construction industry is still writing invoices on carbon copy triplicate forms last seen in The Oregon Trail.

But there is hope. The survey revealed that:

• 82% of contractors would happily use digital payments, assuming someone explains what “Zelle” is.

• 76% would offer discounts just to get paid before Christmas 2027.

• 60% believe faster payments could help ease inflation, or at least keep Joe the electrician from setting up a Venmo tip jar at the jobsite porta-john.

The Real Economy: Powered by Spare Change and Spite

Let’s be honest. When the guy sleeping under the overpass is bringing in more daily cash than your licensed masonry crew, something’s broken. And it's not just the skid steer hydraulics (again).

Until the payment systems catch up with the 21st century, contractors will continue doing what they’ve always done: showing up, working miracles with concrete and steel, and praying someone eventually Venmos them before the mortgage is repossessed by pigeons.

Meanwhile, if you need money now, your best bet might be a cardboard sign that reads:“WILL PLUMB FOR FOOD. PAY ME FASTER THAN BUILT.”