Pay application

Also called pay app, application for payment, AIA G702/G703, payment application

Definition

A formal progress-payment request listing work completed per schedule-of-values line, prior payments, retainage and the amount due. AIA G702 and G703 are the forms.

A pay application is progress billing with the arithmetic shown. The G703 continuation sheet lists every schedule-of-values line with its scheduled value, work completed previously, work completed this period, stored materials, total to date and percentage; the G702 cover sums it, deducts retainage and previous payments, and states the current amount due, signed and often notarized. Commercial GCs and their subs live on it; residential contractors meet it on lender-financed builds and larger remodels.

A worked number

Framing line, scheduled value $12,000. Previously billed $3,000, this period $6,000, total $9,000, 75% complete. Across all lines the total to date is $54,000; 10% retainage holds $5,400; previous payments were $27,000. Current payment due: $54,000 minus $5,400 minus $27,000, or $21,600.

The mistake it hides

Percentages that are guesses. An owner's rep or lender's inspector will check the claimed percentage against the site, and a pay app that's ahead of the work gets cut and slows every later one. The percentages are honest when they come from what the job has actually cost against each line.

In Obra

Obra doesn't fill in the AIA forms, but a project whose budget lines mirror the schedule of values gives you the cost-based percent complete per line the G703 asks for, and records each payment against the contract as it arrives. The retainage and progress billing calculator works the retainage and due amounts.

Free download

Not ready for an app? Start with our free Excel template.

A ready-made spreadsheet to track costs and income per project — with categories and the totals already set up.

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