Construction payment guides
Every figure on these pages was read from a primary source on the date shown, and every page lists its sources. Nothing here is legal advice.
Lien Waivers
5 of 20
| The Four Lien Waiver TypesConditional vs unconditional, progress vs final — what each signature costs you. | Read The Four Lien Waiver Types |
| How to Fill Out a Lien WaiverField by field, with the three lines that get subcontractors burned. | Read How to Fill Out a Lien Waiver |
| Collecting Lien Waivers From SubcontractorsA GC's exchange routine that keeps the pay app moving and the title clean. | Read Collecting Lien Waivers From Subcontractors |
| Do Lien Waivers Have to Be Notarized?The states that require notarization, and what happens when you skip it. | Read Do Lien Waivers Have to Be Notarized? |
| Lien Waiver Requirements by StateWhich states publish a mandatory statutory waiver form, and which do not. | Read Lien Waiver Requirements by State |
Notices & Mechanics Liens
6 of 20
| What Is a Mechanics Lien?How the claim attaches to the property, and why it works when invoices do not. | Read What Is a Mechanics Lien? |
| How to File a Mechanics LienThe eight-step filing sequence, from notice to recording to enforcement. | Read How to File a Mechanics Lien |
| Mechanics Lien Deadlines by StateNotice, recording and suit deadlines for every state, with the statute cite. | Read Mechanics Lien Deadlines by State |
| Preliminary Notice: Who Sends One and WhenThe 20-day notice and its cousins — the cheapest insurance on a job. | Read Preliminary Notice: Who Sends One and When |
| Notice of Intent to LienWhat the letter must say, how to serve it, and why it collects. | Read Notice of Intent to Lien |
| Who Can File a Mechanics Lien?Tiers, suppliers to suppliers, licensing, and the parties who cannot claim. | Read Who Can File a Mechanics Lien? |
Retainage & Pay Applications
5 of 20
| What Is Retainage in Construction?Why 5-10% is held, who holds it, and when the law says it must be released. | Read What Is Retainage in Construction? |
| Retainage Laws by StateStatutory caps, release timelines and retainage bonds, state by state. | Read Retainage Laws by State |
| AIA G702 and G703 ExplainedEvery line of the application and the continuation sheet, in order. | Read AIA G702 and G703 Explained |
| How to Build a Schedule of ValuesLine-item structure, front-loading limits, and what reviewers reject. | Read How to Build a Schedule of Values |
| Progress Billing for SubcontractorsPercent-complete billing, stored materials, and the billing cycle calendar. | Read Progress Billing for Subcontractors |
Getting Paid
4 of 20
| The Prompt Payment Act, ExplainedFederal timelines, state acts, and the interest a late payer actually owes. | Read The Prompt Payment Act, Explained |
| Pay-When-Paid vs Pay-If-PaidOne clause delays your money. The other can end the claim entirely. | Read Pay-When-Paid vs Pay-If-Paid |
| Construction Payment Terms That Hold UpNet terms, billing cycles, change-order pricing and the clauses to strike. | Read Construction Payment Terms That Hold Up |
| Not Getting Paid: The Escalation LadderSeven steps from a quiet invoice to a recorded lien, with timing. | Read Not Getting Paid: The Escalation Ladder |