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How to Bill a General Contractor for Progress Payments

The monthly billing cycle for subcontractors - what to submit, when, and how to avoid payment delays.

Last updated 2026-08-17

The monthly cycle

Most commercial subcontracts run on a monthly billing cycle: you submit a pay application shortly after a fixed cutoff date (often the 25th or end of month), the GC reviews and certifies it, and payment follows on contract-specified terms - commonly 30 days from certification, sometimes tied to a "pay-when-paid" or "pay-if-paid" clause that ties your payment to when the GC gets paid by the owner. Know which one is in your contract; it changes how much delay is normal versus a problem worth escalating.

What to submit

At minimum, a G702 and G703 for the period. Many GCs also require, alongside it:

• A conditional or unconditional lien waiver for the current payment (and sometimes an unconditional waiver for the previous payment, proving it actually cleared)
• Backup documentation - invoices for stored materials, certified payroll if the job is prevailing-wage, photos for percentage-complete claims on some jobs
• A notarized signature on the G702, which some GCs still require even though it's increasingly treated as optional

Why pay applications get rejected or delayed

• SOV total doesn't match the contract sum - the single most common reason, especially after a change order that didn't get reflected everywhere.
• Previous period numbers don't carry forward correctly - if "previous completed" on this month's form doesn't match what was certified last month, it gets kicked back.
• Missing lien waivers - GCs frequently won't process payment at all without them, even if the numbers are perfect.
• Overbilling - claiming more percent-complete than the work actually supports invites a site visit and a delay, not just a rejection.
• Retainage miscalculated - wrong rate, or applied inconsistently between work and stored materials.

Getting paid faster

• Submit on the same date every month, right at the cutoff - GCs batch pay applications into their own billing cycle with the owner, and missing the cutoff can push you a full month.
• Keep your SOV, retainage rate, and change order log in one place so nothing drifts between periods.
• Send lien waivers with the application, not after a follow-up request.
• Follow up in writing, not just verbally, if a payment is late relative to your contract terms - it creates a paper trail if it becomes a dispute later.

Making the paperwork the easy part

None of this is complicated once it's set up correctly - it's just a lot of small details that compound if any one of them is off. This tool handles the SOV, retainage, and carry-forward math so the form itself is never the reason a payment gets delayed.

This is a free tool, currently in development. Numbers should be accurate, but don't rely on it for anything legally binding yet. Privacy & Terms.