Contractors

Payment Application Completeness Checker

Review a construction payment application for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with contract requirements. This prompt helps contractors ensure their pay applications are complete before submission — reducing rejection risk, accelerating payment, and maintaining accurate project financial records.

This prompt reviews a described payment application against contract requirements and returns a completeness check on all required forms and signature blocks, a schedule of values accuracy assessment flagging unrealistic percent-complete allocations, stored materials documentation requirements for off-site materials, a lien waiver package completeness check, a change order status confirmation that all approved COs are incorporated in the SOV, a retainage calculation verification, and a list of common rejection triggers present in the application. Never submit a payment application with intentionally overstated percent-complete values — this creates contract liability and can constitute fraud where the misrepresentation is material. It is for general contractors and project accountants ensuring payment applications are rejection-ready before the monthly billing deadline.

Testedclaude-sonnet-4-6ValidatedMar 2026ScopeVerify against current contract documents and local regulati…TierProfessional
AI Role
You are a senior construction project manager with expertise in construction bil…
Models
Claude
Confidence
Professional
Constraints
Verify against current contract documents and local regulations. This does not replace professional engineering judgment.
Payment applications are legal documents — ensure accuracy in all figures and certifications before submission.
Never submit a payment application with intentionally overstated percent-complete values — this creates contract and potential legal liability.
Lien waiver requirements vary by state — confirm the correct waiver form for your jurisdiction.
Tested Models
claude-sonnet-4-6
Uncertainty
If payment application details are not provided, generate a comprehensive payment application review checklist for the contract type and note which elements must be confirmed against the actual contract documents.
Last updated
2026-05-28Published

The prompt

1,894 characters
payment-application-checker.prompt
You are a senior construction project manager with expertise in construction billing, payment application management, and contractor financial administration.

Review the following payment application for completeness:

Project information:
- Project name: [PROJECT_NAME]
- Contract type: [CONTRACT_TYPE — e.g., AIA A101, GMP, unit price]
- Contract amount: [CONTRACT_AMOUNT]
- Application number: [APP_NUMBER]

Application content:
- Period covered: [PERIOD]
- Total billed to date: [BILLED_TO_DATE]
- Current period billing: [CURRENT_PERIOD]
- Stored materials: [STORED_MATERIALS]
- Retainage: [RETAINAGE_AMOUNT]
- Net amount due: [NET_AMOUNT]

Contract requirements:
- Payment schedule: [PAYMENT_SCHEDULE]
- Lien waiver requirements: [LIEN_WAIVER_REQUIREMENTS]
- Supporting documentation required: [REQUIRED_DOCS]

Review the application for:

## Application Completeness Check
All required forms (AIA G702/G703 or equivalent), signature blocks, and attachments are present.

## Schedule of Values Accuracy
Are the SOV values consistent with the contract? Are the percent complete allocations realistic and defensible?

## Stored Materials Documentation
For materials stored off-site: required documentation (certificates of insurance, title, location) is attached.

## Lien Waiver Package
Conditional and unconditional lien waivers from subcontractors and suppliers — are they complete, current, and in the correct form?

## Change Order Status
Are all approved change orders incorporated into the schedule of values? Are pending change orders disclosed?

## Retainage Calculation
Retainage calculation is correct per the contract terms and applicable state law.

## Common Rejection Triggers
Items that commonly cause payment applications to be rejected or delayed — flag any present in this application.

## Submission Checklist
Complete checklist of what to submit with this application.
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How to use this prompt

1

1. Submit payment applications on the first business day of the billing period — late applications delay payment and erode cash flow.

2

2. Verify lien waivers from all major subcontractors before submission — missing lien waivers are the most common reason for payment application rejection.

3

3. Keep the schedule of values current with approved change orders — discrepancies between the SOV and executed change orders create reconciliation problems at final payment.

Customization tips

Add 'This is an AIA G702/G703 application — verify that the continuation sheet (G703) totals match the summary sheet (G702) exactly before submission.'
For GMP contracts, add 'Show the GMP allowance usage separately from base contract work — owners use this to track contingency consumption and will scrutinize any contingency draw.'
Append 'Include a pending change order log with the application — disclose potential costs in progress rather than surprising the owner with large change orders at the end of the project.'

Sample output

Mar 2026Professional
Payment Application Review Checklist — Monthly Pay App Validation Project: [Project Name] Application Number: [#] Period Ending: [Date] Amount Requested: $[Amount] Reviewed by: [Owner / CM Name] Review Date: [Date] ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLETENESS: [ ] Application is on the contract-required form (AIA G702/G703 or contract-specified form) [ ] Application period dates match the contract billing cycle [ ] Application number is sequential and has not been previously submitted [ ] Contractor signature and notarization present where required [ ] All required attachments included (see list below) SCHEDULE OF VALUES REVIEW: [ ] Stored materials listed separately from installed work — confirm stored materials are on-site or in bonded warehouse [ ] Percentage complete claims for each line item are supported by field observation or certified report [ ] Line items flagged for over-billing: [List any line items where % complete appears overstated relative to site visit observations] [ ] No front-loading concern: Line items with heavy weight early in the project reviewed against actual progress [ ] Retainage calculation correct: [X]% applied consistently to all line items REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS — CONFIRM PRESENT: [ ] Conditional lien waivers from all subcontractors and suppliers for amounts paid in prior application [ ] Unconditional lien waiver from contractor for prior application amount [ ] Partial lien release for current application (conditional) [ ] Stored materials documentation: invoices and delivery receipts for materials included but not yet installed [ ] Certified payroll (if required by contract or funding source) [ ] Change order log current through this application — all approved change orders reflected in Schedule of Values ISSUES IDENTIFIED — HOLD ITEMS: [List any items that must be resolved before payment is released, e.g., missing lien waiver from a supplier, overclaimed percentage on a line item] RECOMMENDATION: [ ] Approve as submitted — $[Amount] [ ] Approve with adjustment — Recommended payment: $[Amount] — Reason: [Description] [ ] Return for correction — Reason: [Description] Reviewer signature: _____________ Date: _____________

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Frequently asked questions

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Professional Disclaimer

This AI-generated content is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace the professional judgment of licensed engineers or construction professionals. Always verify against current contract documents, local building codes, and safety regulations.