The project manager approves a subcontractor’s work. The amount and job coding are right, but the payment packet is missing a document. AP may need to record the liability while keeping the bill out of the payment run. Give those two decisions separate records.
Tie the document to the payment it covers
Record the job, subcontractor, draw, period, and payment reference. Compare them with the supporting document. An otherwise valid waiver can cover the prior draw or a different job. A project folder that simply says “waiver received” leaves AP to open the file and check again.
Have the contracts team specify which form is needed and when. California’s Contractors State License Board, for example, publishes separate conditional and unconditional forms for progress and final payments. Record the expected form and what triggers the next step for that job. California CSLB waiver and release forms.
| Situation | What the reviewer should see |
|---|---|
| Prior draw’s document is attached | The document’s period and the current draw it needs to cover |
| The bill includes retainage | The approved amount due now and the separate amount withheld |
| The subcontractor sends revised paperwork | Both versions and the person who confirmed the replacement |
| AP is asked to clear a hold | What changed, who can authorize release, and when it was approved |
Check the hold in the proposed payment run
If company policy allows the bill to post, trace the approved amount into the job and vendor records. Then open payment selection and confirm the hold still applies. Have the authorized reviewer clear the hold in a test environment and verify that only the intended bill becomes eligible.
Run the case again with two open bills for the same subcontractor. Check whether the hold applies to one draw or more than one. Record who follows up on the document and when. For checking the amount and retainage before approval, see the construction payables guide.