Title: Paperwork and pay guides | Cercha

Description: Prepare subcontractor paperwork and payment questions before work. Compare scope records, invoices, changes and payment terms.

Canonical: https://cercha.pages.dev/guides/topics/paperwork-and-pay/

# Paperwork and pay guides

Guides: Paperwork and pay.

- [1099 crews and W-2 crews: what changes for the builder](</guides/1099-crews/>)

  “1099 employee” is a warning to clarify the arrangement. Establish who employs each worker before deciding payroll, subcontract payments, and site direction.
- [Can a subcontractor put a lien on a property?](</guides/can-a-subcontractor-put-a-lien/>)

  An unpaid sub can have lien rights, but the route depends on the state, contracting tier, notices, and timing. North Carolina has separate funds and property rules.
- [Change orders: get extra work in writing](</guides/change-order/>)

  Before performing changed work, identify who can authorize it and how the subcontract requires scope, price, and time to be agreed.
- [What a sub can do when the GC does not pay](</guides/contractor-does-not-pay-subcontractor/>)

  Start with the invoice file, the contract, and a dated response from the GC. Preserve legal deadlines while you try to resolve payment.
- [Draw schedules on a residential build](</guides/draw-schedule/>)

  A draw schedule maps requests for project funds to agreed progress. Keep the lender draw, owner payment, and subcontract payment schedule distinct.
- [How long does a contractor have to pay a sub?](</guides/how-long-to-pay-a-subcontractor/>)

  Start with your subcontract and the law that covers the actual project. A seven-day rule does not apply to every North Carolina house.
- [How to 1099 a subcontractor](</guides/how-to-1099-a-subcontractor/>)

  For qualifying 2026 business payments, the general nonemployee reporting threshold is $2,000. Check classification, tax identity, exemptions, and payment method first.
- [How to pay a subcontractor: per job, hourly, or by draw](</guides/how-to-pay-a-subcontractor/>)

  Choose the price basis and payment schedule separately. Define the scope, approvals, billing evidence, and due-date terms before the crew starts.
- [Lien waivers: conditional and unconditional](</guides/lien-waiver/>)

  Match the release to the payment you are receiving. Read the payment condition, covered period, exceptions, and rights released before signing.
- [Lien agents on North Carolina residential jobs](</guides/nc-lien-agent/>)

  Identify the designated lien agent before you start, confirm whether the undertaking is covered, and keep evidence that your notice was received.
- [Pay applications on residential jobs](</guides/pay-application/>)

  A pay application requests payment using the contract’s progress and approval process. Use the required form, reconcile cumulative values, and match backup to each claim.
- [Pay subs on time: terms and repeat-work pricing](</guides/pay-subs-on-time/>)

  Make payment a commitment you can explain and keep. Review payment history, stable scope, and capacity before discussing the next job.
- [Pay-when-paid clauses: what subs should know](</guides/pay-when-paid/>)

  Read the full clause, not just its heading. Identify the payment trigger, owner nonpayment risk, and the law that covers this project.
- [Retainage in residential subcontracts](</guides/retainage/>)

  Track retainage as its own balance with a written release trigger. Do not assume a private house follows public-project percentages or deadlines.
- [What is a subcontractor agreement?](</guides/subcontractor-agreement/>)

  A subcontractor agreement sets the terms between the business buying a construction scope and the business supplying it. Read the attached documents as part of the deal.
- [How to send invoices as a subcontractor](</guides/subcontractor-invoice/>)

  Use the buyer’s agreed billing format. Identify the job and approved scope, reconcile prior payments, attach requested backup, and confirm receipt.
- [Subcontractor or employee? How classification works](</guides/subcontractor-or-employee/>)

  Calling a worker a sub does not determine employment status. Review the actual relationship before choosing contractor paperwork, payroll, or site supervision.
- [Subcontractor vs independent contractor](</guides/subcontractor-vs-independent-contractor/>)

  Subcontractor describes your place in a contract chain. Independent contractor describes a working relationship. One label does not prove the other.
- [W-9 forms for subcontractors: when and why](</guides/w-9-for-subcontractors/>)

  Request a W-9 after determining that your sub is an independent contractor. Keep the tax identity in your accounting files, separate from public credentials.
- [Which 1099 form goes to a subcontractor?](</guides/which-1099-form-for-subcontractors/>)

  Ordinary qualifying subcontractor service payments use Form 1099-NEC. Form choice also depends on worker status, payment type, tax year, and settlement method.

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