PayAppPro Learning Center
AIA Billing, G702/G703 Pay Apps, Retainage, SOVs & QuickBooks Workflows
Learn how AIA-style pay applications work, why G702/G703 packages get rejected, how retainage and stored materials affect billing, and where QuickBooks Online fits into the process.
This learning center is built for subcontractors, project accountants, billing teams, and contractors who want cleaner pay applications, fewer spreadsheet mistakes, and faster approvals.
Start with the billing process
New to pay apps? Start with the full AIA-style billing flow and how the SOV, G703 continuation detail, and G702 summary work together.
Read the AIA billing guide →Trying to use QuickBooks?
QuickBooks Online is excellent accounting software, but contractors often need more structure for G702/G703-style pay applications.
See what QBO can and cannot do →Dealing with rejections?
Most rejected pay apps come down to math, tie-outs, missing backup, retainage drift, or change order confusion.
Use the rejection checklist →The Short Version: How AIA-Style Billing Works
These quick answers are here for contractors who need the plain-English explanation before digging into the detailed guides.
What is AIA billing?
AIA billing is a structured progress billing process commonly used in construction. Contractors submit a payment application based on work completed to date, often using a G702-style summary and a G703-style continuation sheet supported by a Schedule of Values.
Learn the full workflow in our AIA G702/G703 billing guide or see how software supports it on our AIA billing software page.
What is the difference between G702 and G703?
The G703-style continuation sheet shows line-item billing detail from the Schedule of Values. The G702-style summary rolls those details into the current payment request, including prior billing, current completed work, retainage, and the amount due.
For a deeper comparison, read G702 vs G703, G702 instructions, and G703 instructions.
Can QuickBooks Online do AIA billing?
QuickBooks Online can handle invoices, customers, products/services, and accounting records, but it does not natively produce a full G702/G703-style pay application package with SOV roll-forward, retainage logic, stored materials tracking, and reviewer-ready PDFs.
Start with Does QuickBooks do AIA billing? or see the PayAppPro QuickBooks Online integration.
Why do pay applications get rejected?
Pay applications usually get rejected because the G703 detail does not tie to the G702 summary, prior billing does not roll forward correctly, retainage is inconsistent, stored materials lack backup, or change orders are billed before approval.
Use the rejection checklist, read why pay applications get rejected, or follow how to fix a rejected pay application.
Featured Guides: Start Here First
These are the highest-value guides for understanding the full pay application workflow and preventing the problems that delay approval.
Core AIA-Style Pay Application Guides
If your contract requires AIA-style billing, the important thing is not just filling out one form. The real job is keeping the Schedule of Values, continuation sheet detail, summary totals, prior billing, retainage, stored materials, and change orders aligned. These guides explain the core workflow from several angles.
QuickBooks Online and AIA Billing
Many contractors start in QuickBooks because that is where their accounting lives. The challenge is that AIA-style billing is not just a normal invoice. You also need line-item billing history, retainage, stored materials, change order handling, and a package that reviewers can follow. That is why the QuickBooks Online integration for AIA billing is one of PayAppPro’s most important workflows.
Schedule of Values, Stored Materials and Retainage
The Schedule of Values is the backbone of a clean pay application. Once the SOV starts drifting, the G703 detail stops tying cleanly to the G702 summary. Stored materials and retainage add another layer of review risk because they affect both the current amount due and the billing history carried into the next pay app.
If you are building or cleaning up your billing structure, start with the Schedule of Values Builder, then review the guides below.
Change Orders in AIA-Style Billing
Change orders are one of the easiest places to break a pay application. A pending change order may be real work, but that does not always mean it belongs in the contract sum or current billing. The important question is whether the change order is approved, how it appears in the SOV, and whether the G703 and G702 totals stay consistent.
Rejected Pay Applications, Kickbacks and Tie-Out Problems
A rejected pay application can cost a contractor an entire billing cycle. Reviewers often start with a simple question: does the detail tie to the summary? From there, they check prior billing, retainage, stored materials, backup documentation, and whether change orders are approved. These guides are designed to help you find the problem fast and prevent the next rejection.
Construction Invoices vs Payment Applications
A simple invoice may be enough for some jobs. But when an owner, lender, architect, or general contractor requires structured progress billing, the contractor usually needs a full payment application package. These guides explain the difference between invoices, progress billing, applications for payment, and AIA-style submissions.
AIA Billing by Trade
Different trades run into different billing problems. Electrical contractors may deal with stored materials and long lead-time equipment. Concrete contractors may need clean unit, phase, or pour-based line items. HVAC, plumbing, drywall, and roofing teams often need to show progress clearly while keeping retainage, prior billing, and change orders consistent.
Start with the AIA billing by industry hub or choose your trade below.
Lien Waivers and Pay Applications
Lien waivers are often part of the payment process. Even if the pay application math is correct, waiver mismatches can still delay approval or payment. Contractors should understand how conditional, unconditional, progress, and final waivers fit into the billing cycle.
Want the “Generate It” Workflow Instead of Another Spreadsheet?
PayAppPro keeps your Schedule of Values, billing history, retainage, stored materials, and change order totals aligned across billing periods. Then it helps produce clean AIA-style PDF pay application packages.
PayAppPro outputs are AIA-style only and are not licensed AIA documents. AIA®, G702® and G703® are registered trademarks of the American Institute of Architects.