AIA G702 Application for Payment — Complete Guide

AIA G702 Application for Payment: Field-by-Field Guide for Contractors

What the AIA G702 Actually Tracks

The G702 is the contractor's formal request for payment. It shows the original contract value, approved change orders, the new contract sum, work completed this period, retainage held, and the amount currently due. Every monthly draw depends on getting this form right.

Field-by-Field Walkthrough

Line 1 — Original Contract Sum. Enter the original contract value from the signed agreement. This number never changes.

Line 2 — Net Change by Change Orders. Sum of all approved G701 change orders. If change orders total $87,500, enter that here. This line increases as the project progresses.

Line 3 — Contract Sum to Date. Line 1 + Line 2. This is the current total contract value.

Line 4 — Total Completed & Stored to Date. From the G703 Continuation Sheet, column G total. This represents all work completed plus materials stored on site.

Line 5 — Retainage. Typically 5-10% of Line 4 depending on your contract and state law. Check your state's retainage cap — some states reduce retainage after 50% completion.

Line 6 — Total Earned Less Retainage. Line 4 minus Line 5.

Line 7 — Less Previous Certificates for Payment. Total of all previous G702 payments on this project.

Line 8 — Current Payment Due. Line 6 minus Line 7. This is what you should receive.

Line 9 — Balance to Finish. Line 3 minus Line 4. The remaining value of work to be completed.

Why G702 Applications Get Rejected

The top 3 reasons: (1) G703 totals do not match G702 line 4 — double check your math. (2) Stored materials not properly documented — always attach photos and location of off-site stored materials. (3) Retainage calculated incorrectly — check whether your state reduces retainage after substantial completion.

2026 Best Practice: Automate G702/G703

Manually filling out G702 and G703 for a project with 40-60 line items takes 3-4 hours per month. Software that auto-generates both forms from your schedule of values and tracks change orders in real time cuts that to 15 minutes. On a 14-month project, that is over 40 hours saved.

AIA G702 Form Structure — All 9 Lines

Line	Field	Description	Example ($5M Project, Month 6)
1	Original Contract Sum	The original contract amount before any changes	$5,000,000
2	Net Change by Change Orders	Cumulative total of all approved COs (additions minus deductions)	+$150,000
3	Contract Sum to Date	Line 1 + Line 2	$5,150,000
4	Total Completed & Stored to Date	From G703 totals (Columns D + E)	$2,800,000
5a	Retainage on Completed Work	Retainage % × completed work portion of Line 4	$260,000 (10%)
5b	Retainage on Stored Materials	Retainage % × stored materials portion of Line 4	$20,000 (10%)
5	Total Retainage (5a + 5b)	Total amount withheld	$280,000
6	Total Earned Less Retainage	Line 4 − Line 5	$2,520,000
7	Less Previous Certificates for Payment	Total of all previously approved payments	$2,100,000
8	Current Payment Due	Line 6 − Line 7 (this is what you're requesting)	$420,000
9	Balance to Finish Including Retainage	Line 3 − Line 6	$2,630,000

How to Fill Out the G702 Correctly

Complete your G703 first

The G702 summarizes the G703. Always prepare the continuation sheet before the cover sheet. Line 4 comes directly from G703 totals.

Verify the original contract sum

Line 1 never changes unless the contract is formally amended (not the same as a change order). It's the original signed contract value.

Confirm net change orders

Line 2 is the cumulative net of ALL approved COs — not just this period's COs. Include both additions and deductions.

Pull totals from G703

Line 4 must exactly match the sum of Column D + Column E on your G703. If these don't match, the pay app gets rejected.

Calculate retainage correctly

Lines 5a and 5b may use different rates. Double-check the math — retainage miscalculation is the #2 rejection reason.

Verify previous payments match records

Line 7 must match the owner's records of previous payments. If there's a discrepancy, resolve it before submitting.

How CyanBuild Auto-Fills Your G702

Auto-calculated from G703

All 9 lines calculated automatically from your continuation sheet data — zero manual math

Error checking built in

CyanBuild validates that all lines tie together before generating the form. Math errors caught instantly.

Change orders tracked

Line 2 updates automatically as COs are approved — no manual tracking or calculation

PDF generation

Generate professional AIA-format G702 ready for signature and submission

Frequently Asked Questions

What is AIA G702?

AIA G702 is the standard Application and Certificate for Payment form used in commercial construction. It's the cover sheet for your monthly pay application, summarizing contract value, work completed, retainage, and the amount due this period. It accompanies the G703 continuation sheet.

What's the most common reason G702 pay apps get rejected?

Math errors — specifically, G703 totals not matching G702 Line 4, or retainage calculations being wrong on Line 5. These are completely preventable with software that auto-calculates the form. Missing signatures, missing lien waivers, and overbilling are other common reasons.

How does Line 2 (Change Orders) work on the G702?

Line 2 is the cumulative net change from ALL approved change orders — not just this month's. If you've had three COs approved (+$50K, +$80K, -$20K), Line 2 shows +$110,000. This number grows throughout the project as more COs are approved.

Can CyanBuild generate AIA G702 forms automatically?

Yes. CyanBuild calculates all 9 lines of the G702 from your project data — contract value, change orders, G703 continuation sheet totals, retainage rates, and previous payments. One click generates a print-ready PDF.

Never Fill Out a G702 by Hand Again

CyanBuild auto-fills every line from your project data. Zero math errors, faster approvals.

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