Welcome to one of construction’s favorite confusing scenarios.
This question comes up a lot.
Because from the outside:
Private contractor.
Construction project.
Unpaid invoice.
Reasonable assumption?
“This probably works like private construction.”
Not necessarily.
Ownership, project structure, bond protections, and governing rules often determine what payment protection options may exist.
And those details do not always align the way people expect.
The Practical Takeaway
The real question is often not:
“Who hired us?”
It is:
“What type of project are we actually working on?”
That distinction matters.