Construction Act payment dates calculator

Payment notice dates

Enter the end of the payment period, and the date the claim was received if it came later. The periods below are the Scheme's defaults: change them if your contract sets its own.

End of the payment periodPayment claim received (optional)

Change the periods to match your contract

Due date: days after the period endsFinal date: days after the due date

Payment notice: days after the due datePay less notice: days before the final date

Payment due
Payment notice by
Pay less notice by
Final date for payment

The four dates

The Construction Act lets a contract set its own payment periods, within limits. Where it does not, the Scheme for Construction Contracts fills the gaps with these defaults.

Payment period ends	Saturday 31 October 2026
Payment due (7 days later)	Saturday 7 November 2026
Payment notice by (5 days after due)	Thursday 12 November 2026
Pay less notice by (7 days before final)	Tuesday 17 November 2026
Final date for payment (17 days after due)	Tuesday 24 November 2026

Why the pay less notice matters

If the payer does not send a valid pay less notice in time, they must pay the sum that was notified, even if they think the work is worth less. Missing the date is how disputes over a few hundred pounds turn into paying the full amount.

If no payment notice is sent

The payee can send their own notice of the sum due at any time after the payer's notice was required. The final date for payment then moves back by the same number of days as that notice was late.

Questions

Does this apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Their Schemes use the same 7, 5, 17 and 7 day periods. Wales has its own regulations, so check those for work in Wales.

Can my contract change these dates?

Yes. The contract can set its own payment periods within the Act's limits; the Scheme only fills the gaps. Open the periods in the calculator and change them to match.

Can I stop work if I am not paid?

The Act gives a right to suspend work if the notified sum is not paid by the final date, after at least 7 days' written notice stating the grounds.

Sources

The rates, thresholds and dates on this page come from these official sources, read on 31 October 2026.

Where SUBR comes in

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Payment notice and pay less notice date calculator