Manitoba prompt payment and builders' liens: what changed in 2024 and 2025

If you build or renovate in Manitoba, the rules for getting paid have changed, and older guides have not all caught up. Which rules apply depends on when your contract was signed.

Prompt payment

As enacted, the owner must pay the contractor within 28 days. A contractor generally has 7 days after receiving payment from the owner to pay its subcontractors; if the owner does not pay in full, the contractor must pay its subcontractor the full invoiced amount within 35 days. A payer can suspend payment by issuing a notice of non-payment.

Which contracts

The prompt payment provisions apply only to contracts entered into on or after their commencement. The proclamation list shows remaining provisions coming into force on April 1, 2025. Check the date your contract was made.

Lien deadlines moved to 60 days

The amending act extended deadlines related to the lien remedy from 40 days to 60 days to fit the prompt payment scheme. The consolidated Act now allows holdback to be paid after 60 days if no liens are registered.

Holdbacks still apply

The prompt payment rules do not suspend holdback obligations under the Act.

Older consumer guidance

The province's consumer page on home improvements still describes a 7.5% holdback for 40 days. That reflects the earlier rules; confirm the current percentage and period for your contract in the consolidated Act before relying on either.

Prevention Checklist

• Check the date your contract was made: it decides which rules apply.
• Owners: pay within 28 days or issue a notice of non-payment.
• Contractors: pay subcontractors within 7 days of payment, or 35 days if the owner pays short.
• Use 60 days, not 40, for lien-related deadlines under the amended Act.
• Confirm holdback percentage and period in the current Act.

References

1. Province of Manitoba. The Builders' Liens Act, C.C.S.M. c. B91, Web page, Holdback after 60 days. Accessed 2026-11-01.
2. Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The Builders' Liens Amendment Act (Prompt Payment), Bill 38, Web page, Payment timelines; 40 to 60 days. Accessed 2026-11-01.
3. Province of Manitoba. Builders' Liens (Prompt Payment) Regulation, M.R. 113/2024, Web page, Regulation. Accessed 2026-11-01.
4. Province of Manitoba. Home Improvements (Consumer Protection Office), Web page, Older holdback guidance. Accessed 2026-11-01.

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