The AIA Document G704 - Certificate of Substantial Completion - is the one-time form that turns "the work is basically done" into a contractual date with consequences. Owners use it to start warranty periods and move insurance and utility costs; contractors use it to release retainage and stop liquidated damages. Because one signature shifts money and risk in both directions, this guide walks the form field by field, shows a filled $5M example, and covers the three clauses most articles in this space skip.
Prefer a printable checklist? Download the free G704 Field Guide + closeout checklist (email-gated, our own document - not a licensed AIA form).
Free AIA G704 download: what is legitimately free
The official G704 is a copyrighted AIA document. The current edition, G704-2017, is sold through AIA Contract Documents and AIA chapter offices - roughly $12 per form, cheaper with a chapter membership. Sites offering a "free AIA G704 PDF" are either reselling an old edition (G704-2000 is still floating around) or posting a filled copy leaked from a real project - do not put either in your contract file.
What is legitimately free: the preparation around the form. Before the architect certifies the date you need a priced punch list, a retainage calculation, conditional lien waivers, and the utility/insurance responsibility split - a closeout checklist organizes all of it. CyanBuild produces AIA-style billing and closeout paperwork only and is not a licensed AIA document vendor; buy the form itself from AIA.
G704 fields: when and how to fill each one
Each line on the certificate carries contractual weight. Everything not listed as an exception becomes the contractor's full responsibility, so owners' reps read the exceptions list first:
| Field on G704-2017 | What it controls | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Project and contract identification | Ties the certificate to the specific A101 agreement and scope phase | Certifying "the project" when only a phase qualifies |
| Date of Substantial Completion | Starts warranty periods, insurance transition, LDs treatment, occupancy | Using the punch-list-close date instead of the usable-completion date |
| Punch list exhibit | Enumerates remaining work with an agreed completion deadline | Vague items ("touch up paint") with no dollar value or deadline |
| Value of work remaining | Basis for the retainage the owner may still withhold | Leaving the dollar value blank - disputes then run on opinion |
| Insurance responsibility line | Fixes who carries builder's risk and liability from the date forward | Missing the transition day - an uninsured claims window |
| Utilities and maintenance line | Assigns heat, utilities, and maintenance cost responsibility after the date | Assuming verbal handover; the form wants it written |
| Liquidated damages statement | States whether LDs stop at substantial completion or continue | Silence, which courts read as "dispute" |
| Signatures | Architect certifies, owner countersigns, contractor acknowledges | Contractor acknowledgment skipped - weakens the release terms |
The $5M example: G704 filled out
Worked example for a $5M interior fit-out reaching substantial completion on September 18, 2026:
| G704 line | Value in the example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Contract sum incl. approved change orders | $5,120,000 ($5,000,000 + $120,000 via G701s) | Anchor for every percentage below |
| Date of Substantial Completion | September 18, 2026 | Warranties start; insurance transfers this date |
| Punch list exhibit | 31 items, $45,000, completion by October 9, 2026 | Deadlines make the list enforceable |
| Owner's permitted withhold | Up to 200% of punch value = $90,000 | Per A201 9.8.3 - the punch number drives the retainage math |
| Retainage held before certificate | $512,000 (10%) | Released per the A101 schedule |
| Released with the next G702/G703 | $256,000 (50% of retainage) | The certificate releases terms; the pay app releases money |
| Liquidated damages | End at September 18, 2026 (stated on the form) | Explicit line, not silence |
| Conditional lien waivers | Filed before signing, keyed to this payment | Prevents double-payment exposure |
The sequence is deliberate: the certificate states facts, the G702 application for payment: the nine lines with formulas that follows actually moves the $256,000, and the G703 continuation sheet: columns A-I with formulas backs it line by line.
When to sign G704: what the date controls
Three clauses on the certificate decide most closeout disputes, and they are exactly the ones generic articles skip - all three come from the official G704-2017 form and its instructions:
1. Alternative warranty start dates
Under the general conditions, warranties and the correction period run from the date of substantial completion. The G704-2017 instructions, however, let the parties record an alternative date - useful when a phase is occupied earlier or equipment warranties are negotiated to start at a different milestone. If your deal has a different warranty trigger, write it on the certificate instead of trusting the default.
2. The punch list estimate as the retainage basis
The certificate states the dollar value of work remaining. Under A201 9.8.3 the owner may withhold payment covering the uncompleted work - commonly up to 200% of the stated punch value - until the list is closed. A punch list without a dollar value gives the owner an unbounded withhold argument; a priced list with deadlines caps it. This is why "no punch dollar value" is the most expensive single mistake on the form: it turns a $45,000 list into a $90,000+ hold.
3. Distribution of maintenance, heat, utilities, and insurance
G704-2017 has dedicated lines assigning responsibility for insurance, heat, utilities, and maintenance from the date of substantial completion forward. In practice this transfers carrying costs to the owner on the certified date: builder's risk converts or reduces, utility bills flip, and routine maintenance becomes the owner's cost even while punch work continues. Fill the lines explicitly - the "missing insurance transition" mistake exists because crews assume the handover is verbal.
Two more signing mechanics: state explicitly whether liquidated damages end at the certified date (see the FAQ), and attach conditional lien waivers before signatures - the certificate should never be the first document where the subcontractor payment chain is unverified.
G704-2000 vs G704-2017 vs G734-2017: which version applies
| Form | Companion agreements | Use when | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| G704-2000 | A101-1997, A201-1997 | Legacy contracts executed on the 1997 family | Still circulating on older work; do not mix with 2017 docs |
| G704-2017 | A101-2017, A201-2017 | Current standard - default for new agreements | Punch-value, insurance, and utility lines per current instructions |
| G734-2017 | B735-2017 / A735-2017 (design-build) | Design-build closeout under the 735 family | Parallel certificate for the design-build agreement set |
Match the certificate to the agreement generation in your contract file. If the A101 is 2017, use G704-2017; if the project runs on the design-build 735 set, the companion is G734-2017. Mixing editions invites an argument that the certificate does not incorporate the operative general conditions.
How G704 fits the G702/G703 closeout sequence
- Before the date: final progress billing, conditional waivers collected, punch list priced.
- At substantial completion: architect certifies G704, owner countersigns.
- After the date: the retainage release rides the next G702 with its G703; final completion later triggers the final pay application and remaining retainage.
- Billing through closeout: see AIA billing software for G702/G703 for the mechanics of producing the pay applications the certificate unlocks.
FAQ
What is AIA G704?
AIA G704 is the Certificate of Substantial Completion: the one-page AIA document that certifies the work (or a defined portion of it) is fit for its intended purpose, fixes the date of substantial completion, lists the remaining punch-list items with a completion deadline, and transfers responsibility for utilities, insurance, and maintenance to the owner. The date on the certificate starts warranty and correction periods and is the reference point for retainage release under the A101 terms.
When is G704 issued?
G704 is issued when the project, or a defined portion of it, reaches substantial completion: the point where the owner can occupy or use the work for its intended purpose. It is triggered by usable completion, not by a 100% punch-list-close-out. On phased projects one certificate is issued per phase, each fixing its own date.
Who signs G704?
The architect certifies the date of substantial completion, the owner countersigns, and the contractor acknowledges acceptance. Lenders and sureties frequently require a copy for the closeout package.
What happens to retainage when G704 is signed?
Substantial completion typically releases the first tranche of retainage; the remainder is held against the punch list until final completion. The amount still withheld is negotiated at signing: per A201 Section 9.8.3 the owner may withhold payment in an amount that covers the uncompleted work, which is why stating the punch list's dollar value in the certificate matters. The G702/G703 billing that follows the certificate carries the release.
Does substantial completion end liquidated damages?
Only if the certificate or the contract documents say so. Many contracts continue liquidated damages to final completion; the G704-2017 certificate has a line to state whether LDs apply to the period after substantial completion. Silence on that line is a dispute, so state the position explicitly.
Is the AIA G704 free to download?
No. AIA contract documents are copyrighted; the official G704-2017 is sold through AIA Contract Documents and AIA chapters, not distributed as a free PDF. What is free: field guides, checklists, and AIA-style templates that help you prepare the data before the licensed form is issued. CyanBuild's G704 Field Guide is a free download and covers closeout checklists - it is not a licensed AIA document.