What to Do When a Client Doesn't Pay on Time: A Simple Follow-Up Routine

What do I do the day after an invoice is past due?

Send a short, friendly email the next morning with the invoice attached and a way to pay. Assume it slipped through, because that is often what happened.

Put the same details in every reminder: invoice number, amount owed, the original due date and the payment methods you accept. Housecall Pro suggests the same details in its reminders, and it also suggests two reminders before the due date, one 10 days out and one 5 days out (Housecall Pro). If you haven't been doing that, start with your next invoice.

Here is a day-one email you can copy:

"Hi Dave, quick note that invoice 1042 for the bathroom remodel was due on the 3rd. I've attached it again with a link to pay by card or bank. Let me know if anything is holding it up."

Then write the date and what you sent in your job notes. If this goes sideways later, that log is your proof.

Should I text, email or call a client who hasn't paid?

Use all three in order: email first, then a text, then a phone call. That order gives you a written record, a quick nudge and a real conversation, each a little firmer than the last.

A contractor on Reddit with four unpaid invoices, the oldest 47 days overdue, was given that same order of contact (Reddit). Another contractor recommends sending unpaid-invoice reminders by both email and text (Reddit).

Here is the routine in one table. The day counts are my suggestion for a solo contractor, not a rule:

Housecall Pro recommends reminders every 10 to 14 days after the due date, friendly for a first delay and firmer for repeat late payers (Housecall Pro). That pace suits a company with an office. If you are out of pocket for materials and labor, a tighter schedule makes sense.

If you have several overdue invoices, don't freeze. Say you have four open invoices of $450, $800, $2,400 and $3,100, with the oldest 47 days late. If you only have an hour, call about the $3,100 one first, then work down the list, and put every one on the same routine from today.

How do I word a second or third payment reminder without sounding rude?

Keep each reminder to the facts: the invoice number, the amount, the date it was due and one clear ask. Get firmer by being more specific about dates, not by getting angrier.

You are not being rude by asking to be paid for finished work. Be polite, be brief and be consistent. Here is how the tone changes:

• Day 4 text: "Hi Dave, Mike here. Just checking that you got the invoice for the bathroom job. Can you pay today or tomorrow? Here's the link."
• Day 7 call: "I'm calling about invoice 1042, which is a week past due. Is there a problem with the work or with the invoice? When can I expect payment?" Then stop talking and let them answer.
• Day 14 firm notice: "Invoice 1042 is 14 days past due with a balance of the full amount. Please pay by Friday the 28th. If I don't receive payment by then, I will pause any scheduled work and take further steps to collect."

Notice that the firm notice has a date and a consequence, and it still doesn't insult anyone. If the client is a repeat customer, add a line about wanting to keep working together. That is honest, and it keeps the door open without weakening the deadline.

What if the client keeps saying "the check's coming" and nothing shows up?

Turn the promise into a date, an amount and a payment method, and confirm it in writing. If that date passes with nothing, move to the next step instead of starting the cycle over.

On the call, say: "Great, so I have the full balance coming by Friday the 14th, by check in the mail or by card at the link. I'll look for it Friday afternoon." Then text it right after you hang up so there is a record.

If Friday passes, don't send another gentle reminder. Go to your firm written notice, and reference the date they gave you. "You told me on the 10th that payment would arrive by the 14th" is hard to argue with.

If the client is acting in good faith but is short on cash, a payment plan can be worth it. Housecall Pro lists a payment plan as an option if it's worth it for the relationship (Housecall Pro). Put the plan in writing with exact dates and amounts, and say that a missed payment makes the whole balance due.

When do I stop work and send a demand letter on an unpaid invoice?

Pause work when the deadline in your firm written notice passes with no payment, and send a demand letter when the work is done or the client keeps ignoring you. Do both in writing and keep copies.

On an active job, keep the deadline short. One commenter sends a final reminder and suspends service if payment isn't received within 48 hours (Reddit). Tell the client the day you will stop, so a paused job is no surprise.

A demand letter should be plain and short:

• Your business name, the client's name and the job address
• The invoice number, the work done and the balance owed
• Every date you contacted them
• A deadline to pay and how to pay
• What you will do if you aren't paid by the deadline

Housecall Pro describes a short escalation path that starts with a formal demand letter, with a payment plan, paused service or collections coming into play depending on the customer relationship (Housecall Pro). Its 7-step guide also includes stopping work, knowing your legal rights, and using a collections agency as a last resort before court (Housecall Pro). Jobber's 7-step list likewise ends with legal action and a collection agency (Jobber).

Whether you can stop work, how liens work, and what small claims court allows all vary by state and by your contract. Before you stop work or file anything, talk to a lawyer, and check your state's contractor registration office if you have questions about your rights as a licensed contractor. Collections and small claims are the last resort, after your written notice and demand letter have gone unanswered.

Can I charge a late fee if it wasn't in my contract?

Maybe, but whether you can add one after the fact depends on your contract and your state, so check with a lawyer before you invoice a fee that isn't in your agreement. If it isn't in writing, lean on follow-up and a payment plan instead.

Housecall Pro says that if you didn't set a late fee policy in advance, focus on clear communication and follow-ups for current overdue invoices, such as reminders, check-ins or a payment plan (Housecall Pro). That is the honest path for the invoices you have now.

For the next job, write it in. A contractor on Reddit recommends a late fee in the agreement that is big enough to motivate clients (Reddit). A UK contractor says including interest clauses and enforcing them makes follow-up simpler and lets them chase payment without feeling guilty (Reddit). If your fee is, say, 1.5% a month, a $4,000 balance would add $60 after a month. Legal limits on fees vary by state, so ask a lawyer how to word yours.

Put your payment terms and late fee on your estimate and invoice, and use a free invoice template if yours doesn't have a spot for them.

Make this routine easier to run

The routine only works if you actually run it, and it is easier when the invoice, the client contact details and the job notes sit in one place. In MagicBuild, invoices can be paid online, so there is no "I didn't have a check handy" excuse, and you can see job profit as you go.

It syncs with QuickBooks, and you can see what MagicBuild does for your whole job flow.

It costs $69 a month, with 14 days free, and crew and clients don't take a seat. You can start a free trial, or just grab the free invoice template and try the routine on your oldest unpaid invoice today.