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What must a payment claim include under the Construction Contracts Act?

A payment claim must be in writing, identify the contract, the work and the period, state the claimed amount and due date, show how the amount was calculated, and state that it is made under the Construction Contracts Act. It must also come with an outline of how to respond and what happens if the payer doesn't respond or pay.

The checklist (section 20)

  1. 01In writing (s 20(2)(a)).
  2. 02Enough detail to identify the construction contract (s 20(2)(b)).
  3. 03The construction work and the period the payment covers (s 20(2)(c)).
  4. 04The claimed amount and the due date for payment (s 20(2)(d)).
  5. 05How you calculated the claimed amount (s 20(2)(e)).
  6. 06A statement that it is made under the Construction Contracts Act 2002 (s 20(2)(f)).

What must go with it

  1. 01An outline of the process for responding to the claim (s 20(3)(a)).
  2. 02An explanation of what happens if the payer doesn't respond, or doesn't pay the claimed or scheduled amount in full (s 20(3)(b)).
  3. 03Both in writing and in the prescribed form, if there is one (s 20(4)).

From practice

Send a payment claim, not just an invoice. Attach the backup the payer will ask for anyway: signed timesheets, material invoices and a breakdown that matches your contract's schedule of prices.

Sources

Checked against the Act on 30 October 2026. General information only, not legal advice. Your contract may set different times, so check it.

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