How to Fill Out a G702 Application for Payment (and Why Yours Got Rejected)

The G702 Application and Certificate for Payment looks simple — nine numbered lines and some signature blocks. But those nine lines are chained together, chained to your G703 continuation sheet, and chained to every application you've submitted before. Here's each step, plus the exact checks reviewers run.

Before you start: the header block

Fill in owner (To), contractor (From), architect/engineer (Via), project name and address, application number, period-to date, contract date, and project numbers. Application numbers must be sequential — a skipped or repeated number is an automatic question.

The nine lines, step by step

Line 1 — Original contract sum

Your contract value at signing. It never changes; changes flow through Line 2.

Line 2 — Net change by change orders

Total approved additions minus deductions to date. Pending or disputed COs don't belong here.

Line 3 — Contract sum to date

Line 1 + Line 2. Must also equal the Column C total on your continuation sheet.

Line 4 — Total completed and stored to date

Copied from Column G's grand total on the G703. This is the most-checked cross-reference in the package.

Line 5 — Retainage

5a is your retainage rate times completed work (Columns D + E). 5b is the stored-materials rate times Column F. Rates come from your contract and often differ. Use our retainage calculator to check the math.

Line 6 — Total earned less retainage

Line 4 − Line 5.

Line 7 — Less previous certificates for payment

The most common rejection point. This must equal Line 6 from your previous application — not what you were paid, not what you invoiced elsewhere. If last month's app was revised, use the revised figure.

Line 8 — Current payment due

Line 6 − Line 7. The number that becomes your check.

Line 9 — Balance to finish, including retainage

Line 3 − Line 6.

The three continuity checks reviewers run

First: Line 7 vs your prior Line 6. Second: Line 4 vs G703 Column G. Third: G703 Column D vs the sum of everything you previously billed per line. Fail any one and the package comes back — typically costing you a full 30-day payment cycle. With construction payment cycles already averaging around 90 days, that's money you can't afford to re-queue.

Sign, notarize, submit

The contractor certification must be signed by an authorized person, and many owners require notarization. Submit the G702 with the continuation sheet and any required backup (stored material invoices, lien waivers) as one package.