The Subcontractor Project

Tara Cristel
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  • Business

The Subcontractor Project is a space for real conversations across the construction industry. Hosted by Tara Cristel, this podcast talks openly about the contracts, cash flow pressure, payment delays, retainage, and risk-shifting that subcontractors live with every day. By bringing voices from across the commercial construction industry to the table; including subcontractors, general contractors, owners, lenders, attorneys, and other industry leaders the show explores what is broken, what is changing, and what it will take to build a stronger, fairer future for the people actually doing the

Episodes

  1. Oct 30

    Stop Signing Blind: 3 Contract Risks Every Subcontractor Should Review | Kendall Hoyd, FairBuild AI

    In this episode of The Subcontractor Project, Tara Cristel sits down with Kendall Hoyd, founder and CEO of FairBuild AI, to talk about one of the most overlooked risks in commercial construction: the subcontract itself. Kendall brings more than 30 years of experience as an owner and executive in the construction industry. His experience includes component manufacturing, framing, flooring, cabinets and countertops, roofing, solar, and executive leadership roles across construction companies. FairBuild AI grew out of lessons Kendall learned the expensive way: contract language matters. Tara shares a similar wake-up call from her own commercial glazing company. After a general contractor stopped paying and roughly $150,000 was outstanding, she went back to the subcontract expecting to find protection — and realized the agreement gave her very little leverage. In this conversation, Tara and Kendall discuss: • Why subcontractors often review scope and price but overlook everything else in the contract• Pay-if-paid vs. pay-when-paid• Why subcontractors need a defined right to suspend work for nonpayment• How general contractors actually respond when subcontractors send redlines• Why some contractors are paying Net 30 — and even faster• Schedule-control provisions and the financial risk of project delays• Labor and material escalation when projects are pushed months or years• Indemnity clauses that can shift someone else's risk onto your company• Why AI can help with contract review — but shouldn't replace judgment or an attorney• Why specialized construction knowledge matters• How to negotiate without approaching your customer like an adversary• Why subcontractors don't need the perfect agreement — they just need a better one CONNECT WITH KENDALL HOYD LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-hoyd-6059809/ FairBuild AI:https://www.fairbuild.ai Kendall can also be reached at:Kendall@fairbuild.ai TRY FAIRBUILD AI If you want to use FairBuild AI to review your own contracts, visit: https://www.fairbuild.ai Use code TARA10 for 10% off your first purchase. Affiliate disclosure: Tara has an affiliate relationship with FairBuild AI and may receive a referral fee when someone makes a qualifying purchase using her code. Tara uses FairBuild in her own business and recommends it based on her personal experience with the platform. CONTRACTOR COMPLIANCE CO. This episode is brought to you by Contractor Compliance Co. Contractor Compliance Co. provides bookkeeping and back-office support built for contractors, including: • QuickBooks bookkeeping• Accounts payable and receivable• Payroll• Certified payroll• Monthly financial reporting• Cash-flow planning• Contract-review support from an operational and financial perspective• Practical office systems• AI workflows for everyday construction-office tasks Whether you need ongoing back-office support or help getting your systems and financials back under control, Contractor Compliance Co. helps contractors protect their businesses and work smarter behind the build. Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584381584303 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?keywords=Contractor%20Compliance%20Co.&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Aorganization%3A109884602&position=0 ABOUT THE SUBCONTRACTOR PROJECT The Subcontractor Project is a platform for honest conversations about the business side of commercial construction — contracts, payment, risk, retainage, cash flow, and the systems that determine whether subcontractors actually get to keep the businesses they work so hard to build. Hosted by Tara Cristel, commercial glazing contractor, business owner, and founder of The Subcontractor Project. Disclaimer: This conversation is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not legal advice. FairBuild AI is not a law firm and does not replace advice from a qualified attorney regarding your specific contract or circumstances.

  2. Sep 17

    Stop Signing Blind: 3 Contract Risks Every Subcontractor Should Review | Kendall Hoyd, FairBuild AI

    You checked the scope. You checked the price. But what did you actually agree to? In this episode of The Subcontractor Project, Tara Cristel sits down with Kendall Hoyd, founder and CEO of FairBuild AI, to talk about one of the most overlooked risks in commercial construction: the subcontract itself. Kendall brings more than 30 years of construction leadership experience. FairBuild AI grew out of lessons he learned the expensive way: contract language matters. Tara shares her own wake-up call after a GC stopped paying and roughly $150,000 was outstanding. When she went back to the subcontract looking for protection, she realized the agreement gave her very little leverage. That experience changed how she approaches every contract. They discuss:• Pay-if-paid vs. pay-when-paid• Why subs need a defined right to suspend work for nonpayment• How GCs respond to redlines• Net 30 payment and better GC relationships• Schedule risk, project delays, labor increases and material escalation• Indemnity clauses and one-sided risk transfer• How AI can help with contract review without replacing legal judgment• How to negotiate without treating your customer like an adversary CHAPTERS00:00 Contractor Compliance Co.00:56 Meet Kendall Hoyd of FairBuild AI02:08 What FairBuild AI Does03:12 The Contract Lessons That Led to FairBuild05:07 Tara's $150,000 Contract Wake-Up Call07:07 FairBuild for Subs & Suppliers08:54 How FairBuild Changed Tara's Contract Process11:01 What Happens When You Send a GC Redlines?13:58 Finding GCs Who Negotiate - and Pay Net 3015:42 Trust Between GCs and Subcontractors16:37 Fair Contracts vs. One-Sided Contracts18:44 Top Contract Terms Subs Should Focus On19:12 Payment Terms & Pay-If-Paid20:42 Indemnity & Risk Transfer21:58 Project Delays, Labor Increases & Material Escalation24:33 Why General AI Isn't Enough for Contract Review25:27 "Sign It or Lose the Job"26:35 How Kendall Approaches Contract Negotiations27:30 FairBuild's Negotiation Guide29:06 You Don't Need the Perfect Agreement - Just a Better One29:37 FairBuild AI Discount - Code TARA10 CONNECT WITH KENDALLLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-hoyd-6059809/FairBuild AI: https://www.fairbuild.aiEmail: Kendall@fairbuild.ai TRY FAIRBUILD AIUse code TARA10 for 10% off your first purchase at https://www.fairbuild.ai Affiliate disclosure: Tara has an affiliate relationship with FairBuild AI and may receive a referral fee from qualifying purchases made using her code. CONTRACTOR COMPLIANCE CO.Back-office support built for contractors: bookkeeping, A/R, A/P, payroll, certified payroll, monthly financial reporting, cash-flow planning, contract-review support and practical office systems. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584381584303 ABOUT THE SUBCONTRACTOR PROJECTReal conversations about contracts, payment, risk, retainage, cash flow and the business side of commercial construction. Disclaimer: This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not legal advice. FairBuild AI is not a law firm and does not replace advice from a qualified attorney.

  3. May 20

    Why Construction Payment Is Still Broken with Dr. Jessica Barnes

    In this episode of The Subcontractor Project, Tara sits down with Dr. Jessica Barnes to talk about one of the biggest hidden problems in commercial construction: the payment process. Dr. Barnes brings a unique perspective to the conversation. With a professional background in neuroscience, healthcare, and complex systems plus personal ties to the construction world she breaks down why payment delays in this industry are not just random frustrations or isolated mistakes. They are part of a larger system that has been patched together for decades and still puts enormous pressure on the people doing the work. Together, Tara and Jessica talk through the complexity of the construction payment chain, why transparency is so difficult to achieve, how retainage continues to strain subcontractors, and why real change will require more than better behavior from individual players. This is a conversation about structure, visibility, accountability, and why the current system keeps leaving subcontractors carrying too much. Why the construction payment process still feels outdatedHow payment friction is built into the structure of the industryThe problem with “silent holds” in the pay app processWhy one small documentation issue can create major downstream consequencesHow retainage affects subcontractors’ cash flow and ability to fund workWhy this is a structural problem, not just a behavioral oneThe need for shared visibility and real-time communication in the payment chainWhy owners, developers, and lenders may be the key to meaningful changeIn this episode, they discuss:

    Why Construction Payment Is Still Broken with Dr. Jessica Barnes
  • 3 Episodes

About

The Subcontractor Project is a space for real conversations across the construction industry. Hosted by Tara Cristel, this podcast talks openly about the contracts, cash flow pressure, payment delays, retainage, and risk-shifting that subcontractors live with every day. By bringing voices from across the commercial construction industry to the table; including subcontractors, general contractors, owners, lenders, attorneys, and other industry leaders the show explores what is broken, what is changing, and what it will take to build a stronger, fairer future for the people actually doing the

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