contracts

Do owners typically have "due dates" in place to ensure change orders are submitted within a certain period of time, within their contracts?

I am a subcontractor. Every contract I sign has the wording in that I will get paid when the contractor gets paid. I do not know how the General Contractors are getting away with this. This seems like such an obscene unjustice. I put up all the money for labor and materials for a project and...

Anyone have good experience writing or opinions on writing their own contracts with terms and agreements compared to using boiler plate contracts????