Betalningsförseningar i byggbranschen och dess konsekvenser : En undersökning om hur betalningsförseningar påverkar entreprenadbaserade byggföretag och hur frekvent problemet är

The purpose of the executed qualitative study is to examine how frequently payment delays occur in the Swedish construction sector, how it affects the contractor’s payment possibilities towards other participants and how the contractors’s cash flow is affected. With the data collected from the interviews the results show that payment delays occur in Swedish construction industry but differs in frequency and extent between projects and often depends on the client’s level of experience. The participating contractors are mostly active within the public sector and to some extent in the private sector. Generally, the perception is that the client has a key role in minimizing payment delays and that late payments are more likely to happen in the private sector. The results show that late payments have a negative effect on the contractor’s economy and that the frequence of payment delays differ between different projects and contractor. The conclusion is that the problem is complex not only affected by contractors and clients, but also other participants such as banks. Established contractors with a good cash flow plan, cash flow and buffer are affected by payment delays but can handle them well. Newly started and smaller contractors with lower cash flow and smaller buffer are more vulnerable to payment delays that can have big consequences. Subcontractors are especially vulnerable because of their position in the payment chain.