Let’s talk construction late payment excuses!
You finish the job. You send the invoice. Then… nothing. No payment. No reply. Just radio silence.
So you follow up — politely at first. And then come the classics:
“The cheque’s in the post.”
“It’s with accounts.”
“We’re just waiting on sign-off.”
If you work in construction, chances are you’ve heard most of them. And if you’ve been in the game a while, you could probably call out a full house.
We call it Late Payment Bingo — because once you’ve chased enough unpaid invoices, you’ll start recognising the same construction late payment excuses again and again. Different project, same story.
But here’s the thing. This isn’t just annoying. It’s serious.
Late payments put pressure on your cashflow. They stop you paying your own suppliers. And all the while, someone else is holding onto your money.
At CRS, we deal with this every day — and we know all the signs. So we’ve put together some of the most common construction late payment excuses you’re likely to hear, and what you should do when you hear them.
Are any of these excuses on your Bingo card? If so, here’s what to do about it.
1. “The cheque’s in the post.”
What they mean: We’ve not paid it — and we don’t really plan to anytime soon.
What to do: Ask for tracking info or proof of postage. Push for bank transfer instead — it’s 2025, not 1995.
2. “It’s with accounts.”
What they mean: It’s on someone else’s desk, and we hope you’ll stop asking.
What to do: Get a name. Speak directly to accounts. Keep it formal and logged.
3. “We’re just waiting on sign-off.”
What they mean: We’re buying more time. Maybe someone forgot. Maybe they didn’t.
What to do: Ask who’s signing it off and when. Hold them to a date. Follow up immediately if it slips.
4. “We never received the invoice.”
What they mean: We did — but if we say we didn’t, maybe you’ll go away.
What to do: Resend it, mark it “Second Send,” and copy in multiple contacts. Keep the trail tight.
5. “We’ve got cashflow issues.”
What they mean: We’ve paid other people first — not you.
What to do: Ask for a payment plan in writing. Be firm. This is your money, not a favour.
6. “The person you need is off today.”
What they mean: We’re stalling again.
What to do: Ask for the next best contact. Don’t accept a dead end.
7. “We thought that was in the retention.”
What they mean: We’re hoping you haven’t read the contract properly.
What to do: Check the contract. If it’s not retention, it’s due. Simple.
8. “We paid that already.”
What they mean: We’re going to act confident and hope you don’t question it.
What to do: Ask for remittance or proof of payment. If they go quiet — they haven’t paid.
9. “Can you send it again?”
What they mean: We’re not really organised and hope you’ll forget.
What to do: Resend it with clear subject lines and previous send dates. Don’t let it slide.
10. “We’re just doing a payment run.”
What they mean: We’ve been “running” for weeks.
What to do: Get the run date. Confirm your invoice is included. Follow up if it’s missed again.
Don’t Let Excuses Become the Norm
The longer you wait, the harder it is to get paid. That’s the reality. And while you might feel like you’re being too pushy — you’re not.
You’re chasing money for work you’ve already done. That’s not awkward. That’s just fair.
At CRS, we specialise in construction debt. This is all we do. So when the construction late payment excuses pile up, we’re the ones you call.
We know how to deal with:
• Payment delays
• Retention disputes
• Clients going quiet
• Stalled approvals and phantom “payment runs”
We’ve helped roofing firms, subcontractors, surveyors, and civil engineers get paid — often faster than they thought possible.
One call, and you’re no longer chasing. We are.
So stop waiting.
Stop hoping they’ll “do the right thing.”
Stop playing Late Payment Bingo.
Call CRS. We’ll deal with the rest.
