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Official sources: non-payment and work suspension

Official payment, lien and safety sources by province.

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 Non-Payment and Work Suspension Kit: start with its guide, and download the whole kit there.

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How to use this list

These are official government and court sources for non-payment and work suspension, 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

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.

ProvinceRegister the lien withinThen, to keep it
Alberta — Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act60 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 Act45 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 Act60 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 Act60 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 Act30 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 Act60 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 Act40 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.

WhereOwner paysTo disputePaying subcontractorsSection
Ontario28 days after receiving a proper invoiceNotice of non-payment within 14 days of receiving itPay subcontractors within 7 days after receiving payment; if the owner has not paid, by day 35 unless a notice of non-payment is givenConstruction Act ss. 6.4 and 6.5
Alberta28 days after receiving a proper invoiceNotice of dispute within 14 days of receiving itPay subcontractors within 7 days after receiving payment; if the owner has not paid, by day 35 unless a notice of non-payment is givenPrompt Payment and Construction Lien Act ss. 32.2 and 32.3
Saskatchewan28 days after receiving a proper invoiceNotice of non-payment within 14 days of receiving itIf the owner has not paid in full, pay subcontractors by day 35 unless a notice of non-payment is givenThe Builders' Lien Act s. 5.4 and following
Manitoba28 days after the proper invoice is givenNotice of non-payment within 14 days, giving every reasonPay subcontractors within 7 days after receiving payment; if the owner has not paid, by day 35 unless a notice of non-payment is givenThe 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 receivedNotice of non-payment under the ActContractor pays subcontractors no later than the 35th day; each further tier adds 7 daysFederal 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

British Columbia

Manitoba

New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia

Northwest Territories

Nunavut

Ontario

Prince Edward Island

Quebec

Saskatchewan

Yukon

Federal (Canada)

Not listed

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.

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