Hammering out the details before breaking ground on commercial construction jobs can prevent headaches for general contractors. Here are some tips for doing so: Own the schedule In any complex job, someone’s going to be late with something, and profits erode every hour that workers, equipment and materials sit idle. It’s imperative that general contractors negotiate for sole and explicit contractual authority to adjust the building schedule. Define payment terms In commercial construction contracts, the most common payment provisions are “pay if paid” and “pay when paid.” The former absolves general contractors of subcontractor payment obligations until owners cut them a check. The latter simply specifies the time of payment and does not transfer risk to the subcontractor. Subcontractors naturally prefer pay-when-paid provisions because they’re...