Construction Act payment date calculator.
Enter your valuation date and payment terms to see the due date, the payment notice and pay less notice deadlines, the final date for payment and the earliest date you could suspend work. Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays in England and Wales are left out, as the Construction Act requires.
Not legal advice. This calculator is a general guide to typical payment terms and is provided without warranty. Your contract may set different periods or conditions, and the dates it produces should be checked against your subcontract. Constructicore does not provide legal advice; if you are considering a notice, withholding payment or suspending work, speak to a solicitor or construction adviser first.
Your payment terms
Your dates will appear here
Choose your terms and enter the valuation date. If you do not know your terms, or the contract does not set them properly, the Scheme for Construction Contracts usually fills the gap.
A worked example
Say a subcontract values the work on the last Friday of each month, and its payment terms say:
- the due date is 7 days after the valuation date;
- the final date for payment is 21 days after the due date;
- the payment notice must be given within 5 days of the due date;
- a pay less notice must be given no later than 7 days before the final date.
For a valuation on Friday 30 October 2026, the payment timeline is:
| Step | How it is worked out | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Valuation date | Last Friday of the month | Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Due date | Valuation date plus 7 days | Friday 6 November 2026 |
| Payment notice deadline | Due date plus 5 days | Wednesday 11 November 2026 |
| Pay less notice deadline | Final date less 7 days | Friday 20 November 2026 |
| Final date for payment | Due date plus 21 days | Friday 27 November 2026 |
If no valid payment notice arrives by 11 November, the subcontractor's application can stand as the sum due, and only a valid pay less notice by 20 November can reduce it. The wording of your own contract decides the periods, whether days are calendar or working days, and how bank holidays are treated, so always work from it. Put your own terms into the calculator above, or let Constructicore track every date for each subcontract.
A worked example to explain the steps, not legal advice.
How the dates work
What is the due date?
The date a payment becomes due under the contract. It is usually a set number of days after the valuation date. Under the Scheme it is the later of 7 days after the end of the payment period and the date the payer receives your application.
What is a payment notice?
A notice from the payer, given within a set number of days of the due date, saying how much they consider due and how that sum is worked out. Under the Scheme it is due within 5 days of the due date.
What happens if no payment notice is given?
Where your application was made on time it can usually stand as the notice, so the sum you applied for becomes the notified sum. Some contracts require you to give a payee's notice instead. Either way, the notified sum must be paid by the final date unless a valid pay less notice is given.
When is the last day for a pay less notice?
A set number of days before the final date for payment, as the contract says. Under the Scheme it is 7 days before the final date. A pay less notice must say what the payer intends to pay and how that is worked out.
What is the final date for payment?
The last day the notified sum can be paid. Under the Scheme it is 17 days after the due date. Many subcontracts set a longer period, such as 21 or 30 days.
Can I suspend work if I am not paid?
If the notified sum is not paid in full by the final date and no valid pay less notice was given, the Construction Act gives you the right to suspend work after giving at least 7 days' written notice of your intention, stating the grounds. Take advice before suspending: getting it wrong can put you in breach.
Which days are left out when counting?
The Construction Act leaves out Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays when counting periods of days. Weekends still count unless your contract says working days. This calculator uses the bank holidays for England and Wales.