Running the Business · Part 3
Template: the demand letter, homeowner version and general contractor version
Lesson 18 of 19~5 minFree previewCurrent as of September 2026
Two one-page demand letters, one to a homeowner and one to a general contractor, that state the facts, the amount, the deadline, and the exact next step the law provides, in a tone the Rosenthal Act allows and a court will read as fair. Send by certified mail and email at day 10 past due. Most unpaid invoices end here.
What the full lesson covers
- Facts in three sentences, documents attached, amount with interest, a ten-day deadline, and the specific next step by a date you will keep.
- State only what the law provides: a lien within the window, small claims or counsel, the GC's 7108.5 penalty. Never a threat you will not carry out, never a call to their employer or neighbors, never a late-night text.
- Offer a call and a payment plan in one sentence; a cash problem is solved by a schedule, not a lien.
- Keep the certified receipt and the email; the letter is Exhibit B in small claims, after the contract.
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- 4Subcontracts with GCs: the twelve clauses to read, what to strike, and what to negotiate