To fill out AIA G702 and G703 forms, start with the G703 continuation sheet: list every line item from your approved schedule of values, record the dollar value of work completed this period and materials stored on site, and total each column. Those totals carry up to the G702, where you apply change orders, subtract retainage, deduct prior payments, and arrive at the amount you are requesting. The contractor signs and certifies the G702, attaches lien waivers and supporting documentation, and submits the package to the architect for review and certification before it moves on to the owner.
The G703 is the evidence; the G702 is the invoice. Every dollar on the G702 summary must trace back to a line on the G703, which is why the forms are prepared in that order and submitted as a single package.
Start With an Approved Schedule of Values
You cannot fill out the G703 without an approved schedule of values in hand. The schedule splits the total contract sum into line items for each portion of the work: demolition, concrete, framing, electrical, plumbing, finishes, and so on. The contractor prepares it and submits it to the architect at the start of the project. Once the architect accepts it, those line items become the permanent backbone of every G703 you file for the life of the contract.
Granularity decides how smoothly your applications move. Line items that are too broad, such as a single “Electrical — $480,000” entry, invite disputes because the architect has no way to verify completion percentage. Breaking that into rough-in, panels, fixtures, and low-voltage gives both sides a yardstick. Items that are too narrow create unnecessary paperwork every cycle. Aim for categories that correspond to observable milestones the architect can confirm on a site walk.
The AIA does not publish a separate schedule of values form. You build the schedule directly into the G703’s line items.
How to Fill Out the G703 Continuation Sheet
The G703 is a table with columns A through I. Complete it first, because the G702’s payment calculation pulls from the G703 totals.
- Columns A, B, and C (Item Number, Description, Scheduled Value). These mirror your approved schedule of values. They stay the same from one billing cycle to the next unless a change order adjusts them.
- Column D (Work Completed From Previous Application). The dollar amount of completed work reported on your last application. Carry forward columns D and E from the prior period. Do not include previously stored materials here.
- Column E (Work Completed This Period). The value of new work done during the current billing cycle, including any previously stored materials that have now been incorporated into the building.
- Column F (Materials Presently Stored). The value of materials on site or in approved off-site storage that have not been installed yet. Recalculate this number every billing period. It is not cumulative the way columns D and E are, because materials move out of storage and into the project over time.
- Column G (Total Completed and Stored to Date). The sum of columns D, E, and F. Divide this by column C to get the completion percentage for each line item.
- Column H (Balance to Finish). Column C minus column G.
- Column I (Retainage). Use this only when the contract allows variable retainage on individual line items. On projects with a flat retainage percentage, leave the column blank and handle retainage on the G702.
The grand totals at the bottom of columns C, D, E, F, G, and H flow directly onto the G702. Check the math before transferring anything. A mismatched total between the two forms is one of the fastest ways to get an application kicked back.
How to Fill Out the G702 Application for Payment
The G702 has three sections: project information, the payment calculation on lines 1 through 9, and the signature and certification blocks.
Project Information
The header captures the owner name and address, contractor name, architect name, project name and number, the application number (sequential, starting at 1), the billing period end date, a brief description of the contracted work, and the date the contract was signed. None of these fields are complicated, but getting the application number or billing period wrong can cause confusion in the owner’s accounting system.
Payment Calculation, Lines 1 Through 9
Each line builds on the one above it.
- Line 1, Original Contract Sum. The amount from the signed contract. This never changes.
- Line 2, Net Change by Change Orders. The total of all approved additions and deductions. Calculate this using the Change Order Summary table at the bottom left of the form, which separates change orders approved before the current cycle from those approved during it. The number can be positive or negative.
- Line 3, Contract Sum to Date. Line 1 plus Line 2.
- Line 4, Total Completed and Stored to Date. Pulled directly from column G of the G703.
- Line 5, Retainage. Split into two sub-lines. Line 5a is the retainage percentage multiplied by the total completed work. Line 5b is the retainage percentage multiplied by stored materials. Add both to get the total withheld.
- Line 6, Total Earned Less Retainage. Line 4 minus Line 5.
- Line 7, Less Previous Certificates for Payment. The sum of all payments already received on prior applications. This number must exactly match the cumulative payment history in the project’s accounting records. A discrepancy of even a few dollars can trigger a full audit of the billing cycle.
- Line 8, Current Payment Due. Line 6 minus Line 7. This is the amount you are requesting.
- Line 9, Balance to Finish, Including Retainage. Line 3 minus Line 6.
Retainage
Retainage is the percentage of each payment the owner holds back as security until the project is finished. The rate is set in the contract and typically falls between 5% and 10% of completed work. Some contracts reduce the percentage after the project reaches a milestone, often 50% completion, to ease the contractor’s cash flow in the later stages. Withheld funds accumulate over the life of the project and are released at substantial completion or as the contract specifies.
Signature and Certification
The contractor signs the G702 to certify that the information is accurate and that subcontractors and suppliers have been paid for previous work. The standard form includes a notarization block, and some contracts require a notary on every pay application. The parties can agree to waive that requirement by amending the contract; it is a project-level decision, not a universal mandate. More than 45 states now permit remote online notarization, so even on projects that require notarization, an in-person visit is not necessarily required.
Leave the Architect’s Certificate for Payment, in the bottom-right block, blank. The architect fills this in after reviewing the G703 against observed site conditions.
Documents to Submit With the Application
The G702 and G703 alone rarely constitute a complete pay application. Missing supporting documentation is grounds for rejection or delay. Typical items include:
- Conditional lien waivers from the contractor, submitted with the application. These waive lien rights on the covered portion of work only once payment clears. After payment, submit an unconditional waiver for the same amount. Several states mandate specific statutory waiver forms, so check your state’s requirements rather than using a generic template.
- Subcontractor and supplier lien waivers. Flow-down provisions in most prime contracts require the general contractor to collect conditional waivers from every sub and supplier before submitting the application.
- Stored materials documentation. Invoices, delivery receipts, photographs, and proof of insurance for materials listed in column F of the G703. Off-site storage typically requires additional documentation showing the materials are segregated and insured.
- Change order backup. Copies of all approved change orders reflected in the G702’s Change Order Summary. Unapproved change orders do not belong on the form.
- Certified payroll, on public projects subject to prevailing wage laws.
- Consent of surety. On bonded projects, the owner may require AIA Document G707A (Consent of Surety to Partial Release of Retainage) before releasing retainage early, and G707 (Consent of Surety to Final Payment) with the final application.
When and How to Submit
Most contracts set a specific submission deadline, commonly the 25th of the month, to keep the billing cycle predictable. Missing the cutoff typically pushes payment back an entire month.
Once the architect receives the application, AIA Document A201-2017 gives them seven days to either certify the full amount, certify a partial amount with written reasons for the reduction, or withhold certification entirely. If reported progress does not match what is built on site, the application comes back for corrections.
After the architect certifies, the form goes to the owner for payment. The A201 does not fix a payment deadline; it defers to the parties’ agreement. On federal projects, the Prompt Payment Act requires progress payment within 14 days of a proper invoice, with interest penalties accruing automatically if the government pays late. State prompt payment laws vary but generally require payment within 14 to 35 days of a certified application. Late-payment interest rates are usually defined in the contract, and state statutes often impose their own rates when contracts are silent.
Mistakes That Delay Payment
Five errors cause the majority of rejected or delayed applications.
- Late submission. Even one day past the contract deadline can bump payment to the next cycle. Set an internal deadline a week before the contractual one.
- Math that does not check out. G703 totals must match the G702 summary exactly, and both must reconcile with prior payment records. Run the numbers twice before signing.
- Overbilling. Claiming 80% completion on a line item that is visibly 60% done loses credibility with the architect. Once an architect starts scrutinizing applications line by line, every future submission takes longer to process.
- Missing documentation. Forgetting lien waivers, stored materials receipts, or change order backup gives the reviewer a procedural reason to hold the entire package even if the dollar amounts are correct.
- Unapproved change orders. Billing for extra work before the owner formally approves it is a common reason applications get rejected. Get the paperwork signed before the work shows up on a pay application.
The Certification Is a Legal Statement
Overstating completed work or fabricating stored materials on a G702 is not just a billing dispute. The contractor’s signature certifies that the information is accurate and that downstream parties have been paid. Knowingly falsifying that certification exposes you to breach-of-contract claims, termination for cause, and potential surety action if the project is bonded.
On publicly funded work the exposure is larger. The federal False Claims Act imposes civil penalties plus treble damages on anyone who submits a false claim for government money, and its qui tam provisions let private individuals file whistleblower lawsuits and collect a share of any recovery. Treat every signed G702 as a sworn statement about what has actually been built.