Levelset has released its list of the top 20 best-paying large contractors for the first half of 2020. The recipients of the notice and lien service provider's Excellence in Managing Payments Awards ran at least 10 jobs in the first six months without any mechanics liens filed against them.
The company said that the award is meant to shine a light on general contractors that prioritize making prompt payments to their vendors. The award winners are:
- Ames Construction Inc.
Burnsville, Minnesota - Andersen Construction
Portland, Oregon - Barr & Barr Inc.
New York City - Cajun Industries LLC
Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Clancy & Theys Construction Co.
Raleigh, North Carolina - Crowder Constructors Inc.
Charlotte, North Carolina - Exxel Pacific
Bellingham, Washington - H&M Co. Inc.
Jackson, Tennessee - The Hanover Co.
Houston - Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
Greeley, Colorado - Las Vegas Paving Corp.
Las Vegas - Lincoln Builders Inc.
Ruston, Louisiana - Martin-Harris Construction
Las Vegas - Nibbi Brothers General Contractors
San Francisco - Rockford Construction Co.
Grand Rapids, Michigan - Stacy and Witbeck Inc.
Alameda, California - T.A. Loving Co.
Goldsboro, North Carolina - Truebeck Construction
San Mateo, California - Willmeng Construction
Phoenix, Arizona - Zachry Group
San Antonio, Texas
Each winner is recognized with a virtual badge placed on its Levelset contractor profile.
Payment profile characteristics such as zero liens in a quarter and a significant number of positive reviews left by subcontractors and suppliers on the company's Contractor Pages counted in each contractor's favor, along with overall payment score, which is calculated using data from more than 1 million projects that Levelset has been accumulating since 2012.
Levelset also considered project volume and the number of preliminary notice and lien waivers exchanged on more than 25,000 2020 projects, as well as the number of payment disputes and liens.
The contractor evaluation period included almost three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. From January through March, the filing of mechanics liens shot up 40%, so prompt payment was likely even more of a challenge than it usually is. More contractors, the company said at the time, were using the lien as a tool in securing their rights to payment in uncertain economic times.
Since the end of March, the number of mechanics' liens that have been filed has stabilized but is still elevated, Levelset's Alex Dunn told Construction Dive.
The novel coronavirus has caused major payment issues for some construction companies. Contractors in Central Florida, for example, have filed $23 million of liens against two major SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment LLC amusement parks — SeaWorld in Orlando and Busch Gardens in Tampa. The company said that the virus had forced park closures but that upon reopening it would be able to start paying its subcontractors. General contractor Balfour Beatty filed the largest total claim — $6.1 million — against SeaWorld Parks.
Even in good times, however, Levelset encourages contractors to protect their rights to payment by filing the correct legal notices, which vary by state, and, if necessary, mechanics' liens, which create an encumbrance on property. The lien must be satisfied before the owner can sell or refinance the property.
