AIA Pay Application Template for Specialty Contractors

AIA pay applications use a specific format: the G702 cover sheet plus G703 continuation sheet. Most specialty contractors learn the format on the job, after a rejected draw.

This template walks you through every field, in order, so your first draw is formatted correctly and your GC processes it without questions.

What problem this template solves

AIA pay applications are the industry-standard billing format for commercial construction. The G702 Application for Payment and G703 Continuation Sheet together document what work was scheduled, what was completed this period, what retainage was withheld, and what the contractor is owed. Most specialty contractors encounter them for the first time when a GC rejects their invoice and asks for a G702 instead. The format is not complicated once you understand the structure, but the first time through it without a template, you spend hours looking up what each field means and whether you filled out the prior line correctly.

Why this document matters

A rejected draw is a cash-flow event. If your application comes back asking for corrections, you have lost a billing cycle, often 30 to 45 days. A correctly formatted G702/G703 on the first submission gets you into the GC payment cycle on time. It also creates the audit trail that protects you: each period application references the prior period balance, so the payment history is self-documenting and disputes are easier to resolve.

Common mistakes without a standard template

How to use this template

1. Set up your Schedule of Values before the first draw

   The SOV is the backbone of every application. Set it up at project kickoff, get the GC to approve the line-item breakdown, and use it for every subsequent draw. Changes to the SOV mid-project require a formal amendment.
2. Fill out the G703 continuation sheet first

   The G703 is where you document each line: original scheduled value, prior period work, this-period work, materials stored, and total completed. The G702 cover sheet pulls totals from the G703, so the continuation sheet drives the numbers.
3. Calculate percent complete per line

   For each SOV line, calculate the total completed (prior plus this period) divided by the scheduled value. Document your basis if the GC is likely to question it.
4. Apply retainage per the contract

   Retainage is typically 10% on the first 50% complete, then releases to 5% or zero depending on the contract terms. Check your contract and apply consistently.
5. Complete the G702 cover sheet from the G703 totals

   Transfer the column totals from the G703 to the corresponding lines on the G702. Lines 1-9 on the G702 are formulaic once the G703 is complete.
6. Submit with required attachments

   Most GC contracts require lien waivers, subcontractor pay applications, and compliance documents alongside the G702/G703. Assemble these before submitting.

Where Scaftra automates this

Scaftra manages the Pay Application workflow natively: your Schedule of Values is set up at project start, percent complete is tracked against installed work per room, and each draw period pulls from your actual completion data rather than a spreadsheet estimate. The G702/G703 export is the output of the workflow, not a separate document you fill in separately.

What's in the template

• Pay Application workflow: Scaftra builds the G702/G703 from your SOV and installed-work data. Each draw period is a workflow step, not a document you start from scratch.
• Schedule of Values management: Your SOV lives in Scaftra from project kickoff. Line items, values, and amendments are tracked through the project lifecycle.
• Retainage tracking: Retainage withheld and released is tracked per draw, per line, with the correct balance carried forward each period.
• Lien waiver generation: Conditional and unconditional lien waivers are generated alongside each pay application, with the correct dollar amount tied to the draw.

What a standardized template delivers

• First-submission acceptance: applications formatted to GC standard get processed without correction cycles.
• Self-documenting payment history: each draw references the prior balance, so disputes have a clear record.
• Correct retainage math every draw: no manual calculation errors on the withheld balance.
• Lien waiver ready with the draw: no scramble to generate the waiver after the check arrives.

Who uses this template

• Specialty trade contractors billing to a GC.Cabinets, countertops, tile, flooring, paint, trim, glass, closets, doors: any trade sub billing commercial work to a GC will encounter the G702/G703 requirement.
• Contractors new to AIA billing.If your current billing is invoices, a line-by-line template is the fastest way to understand the G702/G703 format without learning it on a rejected draw.
• Controllers setting up billing for a growing contractor.As a trade shop moves from residential to commercial work, the controller needs a standard format that field and accounting both understand.

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