Payment dates calculator
Enter your application date and see every deadline that matters under the Construction Act: when the payment notice is due, the last day for a pay less notice, the final date for payment, and when you can suspend.
- Tue, 10 Nov 2026You apply
- Tue, 17 Nov 2026Payment due date
- Sun, 22 Nov 2026Last day for their payment noticeNo notice by then? If you applied in line with the contract, your application amount becomes the sum due.
- Fri, 27 Nov 2026Last day for a pay less noticeAfter this they must pay the notified sum in full.
- Fri, 4 Dec 2026Final date for paymentThe money must be in your account by the end of this day.
- Sat, 5 Dec 2026If unpaid: give notice of intention to suspendLate payment interest starts to run.
- Sat, 12 Dec 2026Earliest day you can suspend workAfter at least 7 days’ notice.
Members get a payment tracker that remembers each job’s terms, emails you when a payment notice is missed or a payment is late, tracks retentions, and writes the notices for you. List your business
How the dates work
Every construction contract must say when payments become due and the final date for payment. If it does not, or the terms do not comply with the Act, the Scheme for Construction Contracts fills the gap:
- Due date: 7 days after the end of the payment period, or the date you apply, whichever is later.
- Payment notice: the paying party must say what they will pay, and how it is worked out, within 5 days after the due date.
- No payment notice? If your application was made in line with the contract, the amount you applied for becomes the sum due. If not, you can send your own notice, and the final date moves back by the same number of days you were late.
- Pay less notice: to pay less than the notified sum, they must send a pay less notice no later than 7 days before the final date (or the period your contract sets).
- Final date for payment: 17 days after the due date under the Scheme. Your contract may set a different period.
- Suspension: if the sum due is not paid by the final date, you may suspend work after giving at least 7 days’ written notice of your intention and the grounds.
- Counting days: under the Act, Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays in England and Wales are left out.
- Late payment interest: unless the contract gives a substantial remedy of its own, you can claim interest at 8% over the Bank of England reference rate, plus £40, £70 or £100 fixed compensation depending on the size of the debt.
This is general guidance on the law in England and Wales, not legal advice. Scotland has its own Scheme with similar rules. Always check your subcontract: its own payment terms apply if they meet the Act. Get advice before suspending work.