Posted by u/roofing_llc_ohio
Customer refuses to pay the final invoice, what do I do?
Answered by Ask a Shop Owner ·
Finished a $12k roof. Customer is happy, no complaints, but keeps dodging the final invoice. It has been 45 days. Do I lien?
u/askashopowner Owner-operator advisor
Top answer
Send one clean written notice today. Amount owed, work completed, date paid-in-full is due (7 days out), and the exact next step if not paid: mechanic's lien and small claims. No emotion, no threats. Send it certified mail and email.
Nine times out of ten, that letter gets a check inside a week. The other one time, file the lien on day 8. Do not let it go past your state's lien deadline, most are 60 to 90 days from last work.
Going forward: get 40 percent deposit, 40 percent at material drop, 20 percent at completion. Never let the last check be more than 20 percent of the job. That is where owners get stuck.
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