ArtBuild template ArtBuild guide · All of Canada
Official sources: pay-when-paid protection
Official payment and lien laws by province and territory.
- Version
- 2026.1
- Last updated
- October 24, 2026
Prepared by ArtBuild to help you organise your paperwork. It is general information, not legal advice, and it has not been reviewed by a lawyer. Check the rules for your province or territory before you act.
Part of the Pay-When-Paid Protection Kit: start with its guide, and download the whole kit there.
How to use this list
These are official government and court sources for pay-when-paid protection, grouped by province and territory. ArtBuild checked each link on the date shown. Always read the current official version for your project; laws and forms change.
Your province or territory decides most of the rules: liens, holdback, prompt payment, consumer protection and the courts. Federal law adds bankruptcy and insolvency, and prompt payment on federal property.
Sources for this topic
- Federal Prompt Payment for Construction Work Act Federal · checked 2026-10-24
- Prompt payment rules for construction industry Alberta · checked 2026-10-24
- Builders Lien Act British Columbia · checked 2026-10-24
- Construction Remedies Act New Brunswick · checked 2026-10-24
Key time limits: construction liens
A lien (in Quebec, a legal hypothec) is a claim against the property you improved. It is lost if it is not registered in time, and a registered lien is lost if the next step is not taken in time. The periods below are quoted from each statute as checked on 2026-10-24. The event that starts the clock depends on your contract and role, and some Acts count "clear" days, so read the section for your situation and act well before the last day.
| Province | Register the lien within | Then, to keep it |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta — Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act | 60 days (90 days for concrete work or materials and for oil or gas well sites), counted from the last day you supplied work or materials, or from abandonment (s. 41) | Start a court action and register a certificate of lis pendens within 180 days after the lien is registered (s. 43(1)) |
| British Columbia — Builders Lien Act | 45 days after a certificate of completion is issued, or otherwise 45 days after the head contract (or the improvement) is completed, abandoned or terminated (s. 20) | Start a court action and register a certificate of pending litigation within 1 year after filing; an owner (or another claimant who has sued) can shorten this to 21 days by serving a notice (s. 33(1) and (2)) |
| Manitoba — The Builders' Liens Act | 60 days after substantial performance or abandonment (materials: 60 days after the last materials, whichever comes first) (s. 43) | The lien ends 2 years after registration unless an action is started first; this can be shortened to 30 days by a notice to start an action (ss. 49(2) and 50) |
| New Brunswick — Construction Remedies Act | 60 days after the earliest of substantial performance being certified or declared, or the contract being completed, abandoned or terminated (ss. 59 to 61) | The lien ends 90 days after registration unless an action to enforce it is started first (s. 64(2)) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador — Mechanics' Lien Act | 30 days after the contract or subcontract is completed or abandoned (materials: 30 days after the last delivery; services: 30 days after completion) (s. 22) | A registered lien stops existing 90 days after the work is completed or the materials are provided, unless an action is started first (s. 24(1)) |
| Ontario — Construction Act | 60 days after the earlier of publication of the certificate or declaration of substantial performance, or the contract being completed, abandoned or terminated (s. 31) | Perfect the preserved lien (start the action and register a certificate of action) within 90 days after the last day it could have been preserved (s. 36(2)) |
| Quebec — Civil Code of Québec (legal hypothec of persons who took part in construction) | The hypothec lasts 30 days after the work is completed; to keep it, register a notice describing the property and the amount before those 30 days end, and serve it on the owner. A subcontractor or supplier without a contract with the owner is protected only for work supplied after written notice of its contract to the owner (arts. 2726 to 2728) | It is extinguished 6 months after the work is completed unless an action is published against the owner or a prior notice of exercise of a hypothecary right is registered (art. 2727) |
| Saskatchewan — The Builders' Lien Act | 40 clear days after the triggering event (a copy of the certificate of substantial performance being given, or completion or abandonment of the contract) (s. 49) | Only a registered lien can be enforced by action; the action must be set down for trial within 2 years after it is started (ss. 54 and 55(1)) |
Time limits not included in this edition: Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Yukon. Read the Act on the government website.
Key time limits: prompt payment
Where prompt-payment rules apply, an owner must pay a "proper invoice" (an invoice with the content the Act requires) within a fixed time, and can refuse only by giving a notice in time.
| Where | Owner pays | To dispute | Paying subcontractors | Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 28 days after receiving a proper invoice | Notice of non-payment within 14 days of receiving it | Pay subcontractors within 7 days after receiving payment; if the owner has not paid, by day 35 unless a notice of non-payment is given | Construction Act ss. 6.4 and 6.5 |
| Alberta | 28 days after receiving a proper invoice | Notice of dispute within 14 days of receiving it | Pay subcontractors within 7 days after receiving payment; if the owner has not paid, by day 35 unless a notice of non-payment is given | Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act ss. 32.2 and 32.3 |
| Saskatchewan | 28 days after receiving a proper invoice | Notice of non-payment within 14 days of receiving it | If the owner has not paid in full, pay subcontractors by day 35 unless a notice of non-payment is given | The Builders' Lien Act s. 5.4 and following |
| Manitoba | 28 days after the proper invoice is given | Notice of non-payment within 14 days, giving every reason | Pay subcontractors within 7 days after receiving payment; if the owner has not paid, by day 35 unless a notice of non-payment is given | The Builders' Liens Act ss. 90 to 94 |
| Federal projects only (federal real property or immovables) | No later than the 28th day after a proper invoice is received | Notice of non-payment under the Act | Contractor pays subcontractors no later than the 35th day; each further tier adds 7 days | Federal Prompt Payment for Construction Work Act ss. 5, 9 and 10 |
These rules apply only to contracts covered by each Act (transition rules decide which contracts). British Columbia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador had no prompt-payment provisions in the statutes checked. The periods are counted from receipt of a proper invoice, which must contain the information the Act requires.
Alberta
- All Alberta construction resources on ArtBuild ArtBuild Resource Centre
- Civil claims, Alberta Court of Justice Alberta Courts · checked 2026-10-23
- Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act (Alberta, RSA 2000, c. P-26.4) Alberta King's Printer · checked 2026-10-23
- Prompt payment rules for the construction industry (Government of Alberta) Government of Alberta · checked 2026-10-23
British Columbia
- All British Columbia construction resources on ArtBuild ArtBuild Resource Centre
- Small claims, Provincial Court of British Columbia Provincial Court of British Columbia · checked 2026-10-23
- BC Civil Resolution Tribunal BC Civil Resolution Tribunal · checked 2026-10-23
- Builders Lien Act (British Columbia) Province of British Columbia (BC Laws) · checked 2026-10-23
Manitoba
- All Manitoba construction resources on ArtBuild ArtBuild Resource Centre
- Small claims, Manitoba Court of King's Bench Manitoba Courts · checked 2026-10-23
- The Builders' Liens Act (Manitoba, C.C.S.M. c. B91) Government of Manitoba (Manitoba Laws) · checked 2026-10-23
New Brunswick
- All New Brunswick construction resources on ArtBuild ArtBuild Resource Centre
- Small Claims Court (New Brunswick) Government of New Brunswick · checked 2026-10-23
- Construction Remedies Act (New Brunswick) Government of New Brunswick (laws.gnb.ca) · checked 2026-10-23
Newfoundland and Labrador
- All Newfoundland and Labrador construction resources on ArtBuild ArtBuild Resource Centre
- Small Claims Court, Provincial Court of Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Court of Newfoundland and Labrador · checked 2026-10-23
- Mechanics' Lien Act (Newfoundland and Labrador, RSNL 1990 c. M-3) House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador · checked 2026-10-23
Nova Scotia
- Small Claims Court of Nova Scotia Courts of Nova Scotia · checked 2026-10-19
Northwest Territories
- Civil claims, Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories Courts of the Northwest Territories · checked 2026-10-19
- New Builders' Lien Act comes into force (Northwest Territories) Government of the Northwest Territories · checked 2026-10-19
Nunavut
- Nunavut Court of Justice Nunavut Court of Justice · checked 2026-10-19
- Mechanics Lien Act, Official Consolidation (Nunavut) Government of Nunavut (Nunavut Legislation) · checked 2026-10-19
Ontario
- All Ontario construction resources on ArtBuild ArtBuild Resource Centre
- Small Claims Court, Ontario Superior Court of Justice Ontario Superior Court of Justice · checked 2026-10-23
- Construction Act (Ontario, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.30) Government of Ontario (e-Laws) · checked 2026-10-23
- Independent review of the Construction Act (Government of Ontario) Government of Ontario · checked 2026-10-23
Quebec
- Small Claims Division, Court of Québec Gouvernement du Québec · checked 2026-10-19
Saskatchewan
- All Saskatchewan construction resources on ArtBuild ArtBuild Resource Centre
- Small Claims Court, Provincial Court of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Courts · checked 2026-10-23
- The Builders' Lien Act (Saskatchewan, c. B-7.1) Government of Saskatchewan (Publications Saskatchewan) · checked 2026-10-23
Yukon
- Small Claims Court (Yukon Courts) Yukon Courts · checked 2026-10-19
Federal (Canada)
- All Federal (Canada) construction resources on ArtBuild ArtBuild Resource Centre
- Federal Prompt Payment for Construction Work Act Government of Canada (Justice Laws Website) · checked 2026-10-23
Not listed
No checked source on this topic yet for: Prince Edward Island. A missing entry does not mean there is no law on the subject; use the government website for the province or territory.
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.