LK,
It looks like you and I are on the same page and it's a very good page to be on.

Hal,
Every EC has thier own ideas of what is good for themselves. I have been where you are now and feared every day that the GC I was working for was going to hold back payment for some reason as they work off of your money or just go belly up.
Now I don't wait for my money, it comes in every day seven days a week from those hit and run residental and commerical customers.