How to Fill Out AIA-Style G702 & G703 Pay Applications
If you’re new to AIA-style billing—or just want a cleaner way to handle it—this walkthrough breaks down the G702 and G703 in plain English. No legal jargon, no overthinking.
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Use the hub pages for the practical workflow, common kickback reasons, and how PayAppPro creates AIA-style outputs with clean totals.
What Are AIA G702 and G703 Forms?
On many commercial projects, the billing conversation boils down to two documents: the G702-style summary (what’s due) and the G703-style continuation sheet (how you got the number). Owners, GCs, architects, and lenders like this format because it’s consistent and easy to review.
The G702 is the cover sheet: contract value, approved changes, total completed & stored to date, retainage, prior payments, and the current payment due. The G703 is the line-by-line detail based on your Schedule of Values (SOV).
If this feels like spreadsheet whack-a-mole… you’re not alone.
PayAppPro keeps your SOV, retainage, stored materials, and totals consistent each billing cycle and generates clean PDFs automatically.
Step-by-Step: Completing Your Pay Application
This is the same monthly workflow most contractors and subcontractors follow.
Step 1: Confirm contract value + approved changes
Verify your original contract sum and confirm which change orders are officially approved. Don’t bury “pending” changes in the contract sum unless your GC/owner explicitly allows it.
Step 2: Build (or verify) your Schedule of Values (G703)
Your SOV is the backbone. Each scope becomes a line item with a scheduled value. Keep the item numbers and descriptions consistent from pay app #1 through closeout.
Step 3: Update “this period” progress by line
On each SOV line, enter work completed this period and confirm previous totals carry forward correctly. Avoid changing prior values unless you are correcting a documented error.
Step 4: Bill stored materials (if allowed)
Stored materials are commonly allowed, but usually require backup: invoices, photos, storage location, and sometimes insurance. Most reviewers also expect stored amounts to be reduced as materials are installed.
Step 5: Apply retainage consistently
Retainage is often 5–10% and may apply differently to work in place vs stored materials. Whatever the contract says—apply it the same way every month so your history ties out.
Step 6: Complete the G702 summary + payment due
The G702 pulls totals from your continuation sheet: total completed & stored, retainage, prior payments, and the current payment due. If the G702 and G703 don’t match, expect a kickback.
Example: Simple Numbers (How the “Due” Amount Happens)
Here’s a simple educational example: $100,000 contract, 10% retainage. This month you’re billing $30,000 in installed work and $5,000 in stored materials.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Work completed this period | $30,000.00 |
| Stored materials | $5,000.00 |
| Subtotal | $35,000.00 |
| Retainage (10%) | ($3,500.00) |
| Earned less retainage | $31,500.00 |
In a real pay app, prior totals and prior payments also factor in—this is just to show the “shape” of the math. If you want the detailed form-specific guides, use: G702 instructions and G703 instructions.
Quick tips that prevent 80% of rejections
- Don’t let “previous” totals drift from last month’s “to date.”
- Never let a line exceed its scheduled value (previous + this period + stored).
- Attach stored material backup (invoices + photos) when you bill it.
- Keep retainage rules consistent month-to-month.
How PayAppPro Helps
Whether you’re a subcontractor billing one project or a GC handling dozens, PayAppPro keeps the math straight and your paperwork consistent.
AIA-style output
Generate G702/G703-style PDFs that are clean, readable, and ready to submit.
Automatic retainage + roll-forward
Totals carry forward each billing period so your G702 and G703 stay tied out.
Submission-ready packages
Keep your billing package consistent with backup docs like invoices, photos, and lien waivers.
Excel / PDF Templates vs Software (Real-World Difference)
If you only bill once in a while, templates can work. If you’re billing monthly (or managing multiple projects), consistency becomes the whole game.
| Excel / PDF Templates | PayAppPro |
|---|---|
| Manual math + copy/paste between months | Totals roll forward automatically each billing period |
| Easy to break formulas (and hard to spot) | Consistent calculations, fewer “why doesn’t this tie out?” moments |
| Change orders and SOV updates are messy | Update SOV/change orders once, and the pay app reflects it |
| Harder to keep waivers + backup organized | Keep your billing package clean and repeatable |
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Start for $7.99 Compare PlansFAQ: G702 & G703 Pay Applications
Quick answers to the questions that usually come up right before someone’s billing deadline.
G702 is the payment summary (totals, retainage, amount due). G703 is the continuation sheet that lists your Schedule of Values line items and the math that rolls up into the G702.
Not always. Many projects accept AIA-style pay applications that follow the same structure and calculations, but you should confirm your contract requirements with the GC/owner.
Retainage is typically a percentage withheld from completed work (and sometimes stored materials, depending on contract terms). Apply the retainage rate to the appropriate amounts and subtract it from the payment due.
Often yes, but it depends on contract terms. Stored materials may require backup like invoices, photos, and proof of storage/insurance, and some owners require materials to be onsite.
Common causes include formula errors, change orders not reflected in the Schedule of Values, inconsistent retainage handling, and incorrect previous-period totals carried forward.
Typical backups include lien waivers, stored material invoices/receipts, change order approvals, and any project-specific documentation the GC/owner requires.
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