What happens if a building firm does not pay their contractors?

BatCat

Hi Folks,
This is based on a query raised by my mother who does not live in the UK.
Basically... we hired a firm of builders to do a renovation of a house for us. They managed the electrician and the plumber to do a rewire and replumb of the house. We paid the building firm, they paid their contractors. As we are about to near the end of the build we're about to make the final payment to our building firm.
Is there a danger that should our building firm not have paid their contractors that the contractors could then come around and attempt to claim the money from us? Is there anything we can do to protect ourselves should this happen?
I'm not saying that I think our builders have not paid their contractors (as they all seem like decent folk and the contractors seem happy) I'm just trying to limit the risk we could be exposed to.
Thanks,
BatCat

ormus

here in the uk, your contract is with the main contractor. any problems between them and their subbys is nothing to do with you.
other countries may well have different rules.
ie
i know spain has strange rules to us.

latecomer

As above - you didn't employ the sub-contractors so have no obligation to pay them.