Construction payment evidence checklist

Build a reliable payment record

Use one project folder and a numbered index. Preserve original files before annotating working copies. This checklist helps reconstruct what was agreed, supplied, invoiced and paid; completing it does not prove legal entitlement.

Project address and jurisdiction

Customer and supplier legal names

Prepared by and date

Secure folder location and access owner

Agreement and performance

• Signed contract, accepted estimate, purchase order and all incorporated schedules; identify missing signature pages.
• Scope drawings, specifications, exclusions and later revisions with issue dates.
• Each change request, authorization, price acceptance and schedule effect; distinguish verbal instruction from written approval.
• Daily site records, time entries, delivery slips and receiving signatures linked to work dates.
• Inspection, certification, deficiency and completion records; preserve both favourable and unfavourable evidence.
• Original photographs with dates, location notes and file metadata; keep edited presentation copies separately.

Billing and money

• Original invoices and proof of submission or delivery to the correct recipient.
• Credit notes, corrected invoices and reasons for adjustments; prevent duplicate billing.
• Bank receipts and remittance advice with invoice allocation and dates.
• Holdback calculation and release conditions, identified separately from unpaid progress amounts.
• Statement of account reconciled to the books on a stated date.

Communications and gaps

• Preserve complete email threads and message exports, including attachments and sender details.
• Write dated factual notes of calls: participants, what each person said, promised action and next contact.
• Keep objections, backcharge calculations and deficiency allegations with your responses.
• Retain all notices received, envelopes, delivery timestamps and court or insolvency communications.
• Identify documents held by others and request copies through an appropriate channel; do not access accounts without authorization.

Fictional gap example

Invoice INV-014 refers to extra framing, but the folder contains only a text instruction and no signed price approval. Index the instruction, daily log and invoice separately. Record "price authorization not located" instead of describing the extra as approved.

Handoff control

Reconciliation checked by and date

Missing evidence and owner

Sensitive data removed from sharing copy

Recipient and secure transfer record

Questions requiring legal review

Do not alter originals, backdate records or infer a deadline from an invoice date alone.

Before you act: this document is general information prepared by ArtBuild to help you organise facts and paperwork. It is not legal advice and has not been reviewed by a lawyer for your situation. Rules differ by province and territory and change over time. Check the official source for your project, and for deadlines, liens, court or insolvency steps, speak with a lawyer licensed where the project is located.