Oral agreements are contracts...
If you have a contractor's license...
And if you performed...
You can legally claim.
Unsatisfied judgements are grounds for the GC to lose his license.
Unsatisfied judgements normally stand as claims against the real property, typically BEFORE all other debts as a 'mechanics lien'.
It's this preference that kills bankers interest in accepting a mortgagee position.
If the property is being financed... lien claims are a killer. ALL boilerplate from ANY lender REQUIRES that the borrower keep the property clear of all liens.
As general advice: never get so entangled with any specific contract that the cash flow ... or lack of... will bring you down.
Counting on EVERY customer/contractor to pay on time per the deal is a sure path to insolvency.
Any time the other party realizes that they have you over a cash flow barrel: you'll suffer.
