How Do You Handle Contractors Walking Off a Job?

[Isaac Lane]

Hey BiggerPockets community,

One thing I always like to ask other investors is: have you ever had a contractor or sub walk off mid-project, and how did you handle it?

As a construction project manager, we ran into this on a duplex renovation we were managing for a client. The GC’s subs stopped showing up after demo. The GC wasn’t communicating clearly, and the project sat idle for nearly two weeks. For the investor, that meant holding costs piling up fast.

Here’s how we resolved it:

• Got on-site immediately to document status and secure the property.

• Started calling vetted backup contractors to step in for plumbing and electrical.

• Negotiated with the GC to either replace the missing subs or risk losing the contract.

• Within a week, new crews were in place, and we recovered most of the lost time in the schedule.

It wasn’t pretty, but it kept the project moving and prevented a major blow to the investor’s budget and timeline.

 Curious to hear: Have you dealt with contractors walking off a job? What’s worked best for you to get things back on track?