What you are producing
A progress billing package: a schedule of values showing how much of each line item is in place, and a payment summary that turns those percentages into one number the owner or architect signs off on. The printed output pairs the line-item table with a summary box and signature blocks for the contractor and the architect or owner. The tool notes on the page that it is modeled after the G702/G703 format but is not an official AIA document, so confirm the format your contract administrator will accept before you submit.
Header fields
The application number is generated for you and the dates pre-fill to a 30-day period ending today, both of which you can overwrite. Original contract sum and approved change orders are entered separately because they are added together into contract sum to date — the figure every completion percentage is ultimately measured against. Previous certificates paid is the running total already certified on earlier applications, and retainage is a single percentage applied uniformly.
The schedule of values and the two percent columns
Five blank rows are provided and you can add as many as the job needs. Each row takes a description, a scheduled value, and two percentages. This is the part people get wrong: “% Prev” is everything billed before this period and “% This” is only the increment you are billing now.The tool adds them — % Total = % Prev + % This — and does not cap the sum, so entering the cumulative figure in both columns produces a line reading 160% complete and bills the owner accordingly. Sum your scheduled values to the contract sum to date, or the balance-to-finish figure will not mean anything.
How the money is calculated
Per line: work completed to date = scheduled value × % total ÷ 100, and retainage to date = that work amount × the retainage rate. Those columns are summed across every row. Current payment due = total work completed to date − total retainage to date − previous certificates paid. Balance to finish = contract sum to date − total work completed to date, which is the contract value of scope not yet in place; retainage already withheld sits outside that figure, so what is still owed to you at closeout is the balance plus the retainage released.
Worked example
An $800,000 contract with no change orders, three lines, and the default 10% retainage. Sitework at $120,000 is fully complete (100% prev, 0% this) → $120,000 of work, $12,000 held. Foundations at $250,000 goes from 60% to 80% (60% prev, 20% this) → $200,000 of work, $20,000 held. Structure at $430,000 starts this period at 35% → $150,500 of work, $15,050 held. Work completed to date totals $470,500 with $47,050 in retainage. If $210,000 was certified previously, current payment due is $470,500 − $47,050 − $210,000 = $213,450, and balance to finish reads $329,500.
What gets an application rejected
Percentages that outrun the field. Architects walk the job, and a line billed at 80% that is visibly at 50% costs you the whole application, not just that line. Change orders entered in the header but never given their own schedule-of-values row are the other frequent kicker — contract sum to date rises while no line carries the scope, so the numbers stop reconciling. Track them in the change order tool and add the corresponding row here before you bill against them.
After the application goes out
The retainage totalled here is money earned but not received, and it accumulates faster than most contractors track it — keep a running view in the retainage tracker. Meanwhile the work-completed and billed figures from each application are exactly the inputs a monthly WIP schedule needs, which is where over- and underbilling actually shows up. This form calculates a billing; it does not determine what you may lawfully bill, when payment is due, or what notices your contract requires.
Frequently Asked Questions
What retainage percentage should I enter?
Whatever your contract says. The field is pre-filled with 10%, which is a common figure on private work, but retainage varies widely — some contracts step it down after a milestone, some public jobs cap it lower by statute, and some subcontracts hold a different rate than the prime. The tool applies one flat rate across every line, so if your contract varies retainage by line item or reduces it partway through, this form will not reflect that without manual adjustment.
Do I re-enter last month's percentages every application?
Yes. The "% Prev" column carries everything billed on prior applications and "% This" carries only the increment for the current period. Each month, the prior total moves into "% Prev" and the new work goes into "% This". The tool adds the two together without checking your history, so nothing stops you from leaving a stale value in place and under- or over-billing the line.
What belongs in Previous Certificates Paid?
The cumulative net amount already certified on earlier applications for this contract — that is, work completed to date less retainage as of the last application, not the gross value of work put in place. Because current payment due is calculated as work completed to date, minus retainage to date, minus this figure, an inflated entry silently shrinks your check and a stale one bills the same work twice.
Where are my saved pay applications stored?
In your browser, using local storage on the device you filled the form out on. Nothing is uploaded to Buildermuse. That means your data stays private, but it also means clearing site data, switching browsers, or using a different computer will not carry your saved applications with you. Print or save a PDF of anything you submit so you have a record outside the browser.