Prompt payment and adjudication guide

Identify the regime before using a timeline

Use this guide to assemble the information needed to investigate prompt-payment and adjudication options. It deliberately supplies no statutory deadline defaults. Contract payment dates, statutory notice dates and lien deadlines are different questions and may require different evidence.

• Identify the project province or territory, land ownership and whether it concerns federal real property.
• Record public or private owner, residential or commercial use, contract date and your position in the contract chain.
• Locate the applicable legislation, regulations, transition rules and current official forms. Record the version consulted.
• Have a qualified reviewer confirm whether the regime applies to this contract and this dispute.
• Record which event is said to start a clock and what proves that event. Do not assume an ordinary invoice is a qualifying invoice.

Examples of jurisdiction differences

The federal Act addresses construction projects concerning federal real property or federal immovables and has application provisions. Alberta's government guide distinguishes its construction lien regime from government projects under the Public Works Act. Neither source establishes a single payment regime for all Canadian construction work.

Prepare the payment and dispute file

Fictional dispute example

A subcontractor requests CAD 8,400 for installed doors. The contractor disputes CAD 1,200 for an alleged deficiency but gives no itemized calculation. Preserve the invoice and delivery record, request the specific basis and supporting inspection, and distinguish the CAD 7,200 not identified in that objection. Whether and how any amount must be paid requires the applicable contract and law; this example makes no legal determination.

Disputed issue in one sentence

Amount and calculation basis

Customer explanation and supporting evidence

Missing documents requested

Potential official process and source to verify

Before starting a formal process

• Confirm jurisdiction, permitted dispute type, parties, required content and delivery procedure with the applicable authority or adviser.
• Use the correct current official procedure and forms; this guide is not a notice of adjudication.
• Confirm filing, response and document-delivery dates separately and add them to a reviewed calendar.
• Check fees, representative authority, language, evidence limits and secure delivery arrangements.
• Ask how the process interacts with lien preservation, court proceedings, insolvency and other contractual steps.
• Keep proof of each submission and decision; seek advice about compliance, enforcement or challenge requirements.

Reviewer handoff

Proposed process and official authority

Source title, URL, provision and access date

Applicable version and transition analysis

Reviewer and scope of review

Verified next step and responsible person

Do not treat a commercial follow-up date as a statutory notice date or assume negotiations extend a legal period. Unverified legal procedures remain excluded from this operational guide.

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.