It usually starts innocently enough.
“The check should go out Friday.”
Then Friday becomes next week.
Then accounting is “processing it.”
Then the owner has not released funding.
Then someone says:
“We’re close.”
Construction payment delays are not always bad faith—but delayed optimism does not preserve mechanics lien rights, bond claim deadlines, or other payment protection options.
The lesson?
Hope is not a workflow.
Strong payment processes account for communication delays without assuming deadlines are moving with them.