A NEW BOOK BY COLLECTIONS AUTHORITY
Framework for Success in Construction Collections
Noted collections authority Debbie Nute offers a detailed and very thorough blueprint of the essential elements of successful construction collections. This is an indispensable guidebook for anyone who is already working in the industry or who is planning to start a collections business. Following a forty-year career in construction collections, she shares the key components that supported the agency’s nationwide growth—from handling licensing and bonding, selecting the right tools, and building a network of attorneys and clients, to day-to-day habits like clear communication, careful documentation, and steady follow-through, practices that consistently lead to successful outcomes. This is essential reading and an unparalleled reference for those in the construction collections field. She writes: “When I created my agency, my objective was to address a shortcoming I had seen throughout my years in Credit Management: the lack of a third-party, nationwide resource, one dedicated to construction-related commercial claims—supported by attorneys who understood construction law. . . . That’s what I set out to build—and it worked.”
Excerpt
When I set out to build the agency, my goal was to create the infrastructure to pursue delinquent accounts—both straightforward collection claims and secured construction debts—across the country, while also providing clients with real-time online access to their accounts. I was able to accomplish all of this, and I share those strategies throughout this book.
One of my first priorities as an agency owner was to revisit delinquencies in Texas. As a Credit Manager, we had struggled with recoveries in that state. From the agency side, I discovered that most contractors were courteous and professional. They weren’t avoiding payment—they simply couldn’t pay at that moment.
In my experience, the vast majority of debtors want to pay; only a small fraction are truly unwilling. The challenge for any collection professional is determining whether the debtor is unable or unwilling to pay. That distinction appears throughout the chapters ahead, especially in how we approach communication, payment plans, and escalation strategies. . . .
When I created my agency, my objective was to address a shortcoming I had seen throughout my years in Credit Management: the lack of a third-party, nationwide resource dedicated to construction-related commercial claims—supported by attorneys who understood construction law.
The vision was straightforward: an agency that could handle secured and unsecured claims across state lines, with the ability to:
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Pursue properly prepared and recorded Mechanic’s Liens
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Enforce Miller Act and Little Miller Act bond claims
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Call on legal support once internal collection efforts had run their course . . .
Say what you’ll do—and do what you say. Never threaten action you don’t intend—or aren’t able—to take. Credibility matters, and once it’s lost, it’s difficult to regain.
Looking back, some of the greatest rewards came from working alongside clients and their teams—many of whom were already committed to firm boundaries, tough but fair credit terms, and consistent practices. Our role was to support those efforts by pursuing recovery and enforcing claims when accounts went unpaid, becoming a steady partner in protecting the work they had already put in place.
This guidebook is written for:
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Construction suppliers and credit managers
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Commercial collectors and agency owners
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Law firms handling commercial claims
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Business owners seeking to improve receivables management
The principles are universal: understand the laws, use the right tools, and follow through with consistency. Those practices carried our agency for decades, and I believe they will serve others just as well.
I hope you find the content valuable, actionable, and grounded in real-world experience.
Best wishes in collecting those hard-earned dollars.
Consulting
Debbie Nute is the founder of Construction Collection Specialists, Inc., a nationwide commercial collection agency focused exclusively on construction-related claims. With more than forty years in the construction-credit and collections industry—including over twenty-five years operating her own agency—Debbie built a recovery model designed to serve credit professionals who needed reliable, knowledgeable, nationwide support. Drawing on decades of hands-on experience, Debbie wrote Framework for Success in Construction Collections to share the systems, judgment calls, and foundational practices that proved effective in real-world commercial collections. She is based in Phoenix, Arizona, where she continues to offer consulting services.
Author photograph by Sara Waterman