American Subcontractors Association

The American Subcontractors Association, known as ASA, is the national trade organization representing construction subcontractors, specialty trade contractors, and material suppliers in the United States, founded in 1966 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. The organization represents subcontractors across virtually every construction specialty including electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall, roofing, concrete, masonry, painting, flooring, excavation, steel erection, and glass installation trades. ASA advocates on behalf of specialty contractors on critical industry issues including prompt payment laws that require general contractors and project owners to pay subcontractors within statutory timeframes, mechanic lien rights that protect subcontractors' ability to file claims against properties for unpaid work, retainage reform to reduce the percentage of payment withheld on construction projects, and anti-indemnification legislation that prevents general contractors from shifting liability risk to subcontractors through one-sided contract clauses. The association publishes the Subcontractor News magazine, provides model contract language through its ASA Contractor Compensation Plan, and offers members access to a national network of construction attorneys familiar with subcontractor legal issues.