Pay app submission checklist

A pay app that gets rejected on a Tuesday is a pay app that pays a month late. The GC's accounts payable reviewer has a checklist; matching it line-for-line is the difference between same-week processing and a 30-day "missing documentation" loop.

The standard package

Every monthly pay app submission to a GC should include:

1. AIA G702 (Application and Certification for Payment) — or the GC's equivalent cover sheet. Period dates, contract sum, change order summary, % complete, retainage withheld this period and to date, amount due this period.
2. AIA G703 (Continuation Sheet) — line-by-line breakdown of the SOV showing previous billed, this period, materials stored, total to date, % complete, balance to finish, retainage.
3. Conditional lien waiver — this period (Civil Code §8132) for the amount being requested.
4. Unconditional lien waiver — prior period (Civil Code §8134) for the amount previously paid.
5. Sub-tier waivers if any second-tier subs have been paid through your prior pay app. Most GCs require you to flow these down.
6. Certified payroll for any covered work performed in the period (separate from but often submitted alongside the pay app — see Certified payroll cadence).
7. Schedule of values updates if any executed COs landed during the period — the G703 must reflect them.
8. Stored materials backing if you're billing for material delivered but not installed — invoices + bill of sale + insurance proof.

What the GC's reviewer actually checks

In order, every time:

Check	What kills the pay app
Period dates match contract billing cycle	Mismatch by even 1 day → "wrong period" rejection
G702 cover totals tie to G703 line totals	$0.01 rounding mismatch → rejected
Retainage % is correct for the project phase	Wrong %, especially missed SC step-down
Lien waivers match the dollar amount on G702	Off-by-a-dollar → rejected
Prior unconditional waiver covers all payments received	Missing waiver → "compliance hold"
SOV totals tie to contract sum + executed CO sum	Drift means a CO is missing from the SOV
Material stored is supported with invoices	No invoice = no material bill

What STrOp assembles automatically

Open /projects/[id]/billing → Create pay app:

• Pulls SOV from the project contract, including all executed CO line additions.
• Pre-fills the prior balance, this-period earned (from foreman % updates), and material stored.
• Generates the G702 + G703 PDFs in the GC's template if one is on file, AIA standard otherwise.
• Generates conditional + unconditional lien waivers populated with this period's and prior period's dollar amounts.
• Surfaces a submission checklist with green/red dots for each required attachment.
• Flags any CO executed since the last pay app that hasn't yet been picked up in the SOV.

You still review and sign — STrOp doesn't auto-submit.

Common failure modes

• Billing un-executed PCOs. See PCO vs CO. PCOs aren't on the SOV; they can't be billed.
• Missing prior period unconditional waiver. Most common rejection. After the first time it happens, set a calendar reminder: as soon as a check clears, sign and file the unconditional waiver for that period.
• Wrong project address on the lien waiver. Use the address from the recorded title document, not the GC's project name. Generic project names are not legally sufficient.
• Stored materials without bill of sale. Invoice alone isn't enough — owner needs proof the material is held for their project. Tag and label materials at the warehouse.
• Retainage step-down missed. Pay app after SC still withholds at full %. See Retainage release.
• G702 signed before all subs cleared. If you're billing for sub work, you're certifying you've paid them through the last paid period. Sign without flowing payment and you've made a false certification.

See also

• PCO vs CO
• Retainage release
• California lien deadlines
• Certified payroll — weekly cadence