Under 62 P.S. § 1403(a), the general contractor must pay subcontractors within 14 days after receiving payment from the owner. If the owner has not paid within 33 days of the sub’s invoice, the sub may suspend work after 30 days’ written notice, and penalty interest plus attorney fees are available. Your subcontract should mirror these statutory deadlines so that late payments automatically trigger the statutory interest and remedies without negotiation.

Pennsylvania does not cap retainage by statute on private construction; retainage is negotiable. CASPA requires retention to be held in escrow and released promptly upon completion. Your agreement should specify the exact retainage percentage, the release schedule (typically at substantial completion and final completion), and payment of statutory interest on withheld retainage.

While Pennsylvania has not enacted a blanket statutory ban on pay-if-paid clauses, courts and statutes in most states treat "pay-when-paid" as a reasonable timing provision rather than an absolute condition. Check 42 Pa. C.S. § 51101 et seq. (Pennsylvania Construction Law) and Prompt Pay at 62 P.S. § 1403 et seq. (for private jobs, via the Contractor and Subcontractor Payment Act - CASPA) for specific restrictions, and make sure your subcontract states that payment from the owner is not an absolute condition precedent to your right to be paid.

Pennsylvania does not require statutory lien waiver forms; waivers are enforceable if they clearly identify the project, amount, and date. Under CASPA (62 P.S. § 1403a), a waiver of lien rights is effective only to the extent of payment actually received, and pay-if-paid clauses are void. Never sign an unconditional waiver until payment has actually cleared your bank account, and make sure your waiver identifies the specific billing period and amounts to avoid losing lien rights on future work.

Pennsylvania under 62 P.S. § 1403a voids provisions in construction contracts requiring a subcontractor to indemnify another party for that party’s sole negligence or willful misconduct. CASPA also voids pay-if-paid clauses and requires written waivers tied to actual payment. Always read the indemnification clause carefully — even in states with anti-indemnity statutes, "broad form" indemnity for joint negligence is typically still enforceable.

Pennsylvania requires filing a lien within 90 days after the last work or materials were furnished, followed by foreclosure within 1 year of filing. Pennsylvania requires a Notice of Furnishing to be filed with the county recorder and served on the owner within 45 days after first furnishing labor or materials. Send statutory notices by certified mail or another trackable method, keep copies of everything, and calendar the deadlines immediately upon each project’s completion.