Most subcontractors negotiate harder over a $50,000 truck than a $5 million contract—but the contract carries far greater risk.

In this episode of Billing & Chilling, Claire Wilson sits down with construction attorney Neil Wilcove of Maynard Nexsen to discuss the contract terms every subcontractor should understand before signing. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience representing owners, general contractors, and subcontractors, Neil explains where subcontractors can negotiate, how to spot hidden risk, and why understanding a contract matters even when the answer is "no."

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why today's construction contracts demand closer attention than ever before
• The three clauses Neil believes every subcontractor should negotiate: indemnity, pay-if-paid, and retainage
• Why asking to review the GC's prime contract can strengthen your negotiating position
• How state laws influence contract language and risk
• How AI can help review contracts—and the mistakes to avoid when using it
  

One of Neil's biggest takeaways is simple: even if you can't negotiate every contract term, you should always understand the risk you're accepting before you sign.

Modernizing a construction business isn't just about finding better technology. It's about getting people to change how they've worked for years—sometimes for decades.

Dan Wies is the third-generation President of Wies Drywall and Construction and also leads Wies Offsite and Constructobot. He's spent years introducing new technology and processes across his businesses, from prefabrication and construction software to AI and automation.

In this episode of Billing & Chilling, Dan joins Claire Wilson to discuss what it actually takes to modernize an established construction business without losing the people who make it work. 

Together, they cover:

• How Dan approaches change in a multigenerational family business
• What he looks for when vetting and piloting new construction software
• Why construction is slow to adopt new technology and how getting burned has fueled industry skepticism
• How he's using AI today and where he sees the limits of AI and robotics
• How to measure technology ROI beyond dollars and hours saved
• Why setting realistic expectations is critical to making change stick
  

Dan's approach to technology comes back to one goal: making good people more effective. New tools and processes only matter if they ultimately help the people using them work better.

Connect with Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-wies/ 

Connect with Claire: linkedin.com/in/construction-claire/

Resources:

• Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry (AWCI)
• Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance (SWACCA)
• Construction Forum

Construction contracts aren't merely paperwork; they determine who carries the risk when a project goes sideways.

Tara Cristel is the co-owner of Total Glass, founder of The Subcontractor Project, and owner of Contractor Compliance Co. Drawing on her experience running a specialty trade contractor, Tara has become a leading voice for subcontractors navigating payment delays, retainage, and unfair contract terms.

In this episode of Billing & Chilling, Tara joins Claire Wilson to discuss why subcontractors shouldn't treat contracts as something they simply sign to get the job. Together, they cover:

• Where subcontractors have more negotiating leverage than they may realize
• The contract terms Tara prioritizes—and why they matter
• How to spot red flags in potential GC partners
• Why subcontractors should evaluate GCs before accepting the work
• How business credit, prime contracts, and state laws can strengthen your negotiating position

Whether you're negotiating your first subcontract or your hundredth, this conversation offers practical ways to better understand your risk before work begins.

Connect with Tara:.linkedin.com/in/tara-cristel-5364ba244/ 

Connect with Claire: linkedin.com/in/construction-claire/

Nobody teaches you how to run the financial side of a commercial subcontracting business. You figure it out—through rough months, late pay apps, retainage you forgot to track, and GC relationships you had to rebuild. The people who do it well have hard-earned opinions that don’t always show up in trade press, vendor blogs, or LinkedIn feeds. 

That’s why we created Billing & Chilling—to capture those opinions without sanding the edges off.

Each episode, host Claire Wilson sits down with a construction finance professional or back office leader who has figured out something the rest of the industry is still working through:

• Cash flow strategies that hold up in a bad month. 
• Change order processes that don't blow up in month three. 
• How to read a GC's payment patterns before they become your problem.

Host Claire Wilson has spent years on both sides of the pay app. She's Siteline's co-founder, a former project manager, and someone who has personally talked to more than 1,000 subcontractors across 40 states. She's heard the playbooks that actually work, and this is the show where she puts a microphone in front of the people who built them.

Consider it the least boring conversation about A/R you'll ever have.