How Long Does a Client Have to Pay a Contractor Invoice? It Depends on Your State
You sent the invoice on the 1st. It is the 28th. How long does a client have to pay a contractor invoice? There is no national answer. Your contract's terms come first, and where the contract is silent, your state's prompt-payment law sets a ceiling that runs from 7 days to 60 days depending on where the job is.
Not legal advice. This is a plain-language map of how payment deadlines work. Lien rights, interest rates, and deadlines vary by state and trade. A local construction attorney is cheaper than a missed lien deadline.
Start with the hierarchy, because most contractors get this backwards. The written contract wins: if it says Net 30, the answer is 30 days. If it says nothing, state law fills the gap with a default deadline. If neither the contract nor the law covers the situation, you fall back on industry custom and the doctrine that payment is due within a "reasonable time," which is a lawyer's way of saying you will argue about it.
How long does a client have to pay a contractor invoice? State deadlines
Most states have some form of prompt-payment statute for construction. They differ in who they cover, what the deadline is, and what happens when it is missed. A few real examples, all from current law:
| State | Owner-to-GC deadline | Penalty for missing it |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 60 days after satisfactory completion | Contract rate or legal interest |
| South Carolina | 21 days after pay request | 1% per month |
| Louisiana | 35 days after written payment request | 1.5% per month (no cap since Act 822) |
| Florida (local govt work) | 20 business days after invoice | 1% per month or contract rate |
Downstream moves faster everywhere: contractors paying subs typically have 7 to 14 days after receiving the owner's payment. Louisiana's 2026 overhaul (Act 822) is the one to watch if you work there: it cut the downstream window from 14 days to 7 and removed the old 15 percent cap on the late penalty, so a slow owner now costs real money compounding monthly.
Two stateside gaps worth knowing. Some prompt-payment laws exclude residential work, South Carolina's does not apply to residential homebuilders. And "pay-if-paid" clauses, which used to let a general contractor pass an owner's nonpayment down to subs, are now banned or restricted in a growing number of states; Virginia's 2022 law killed them outright.
What to write on the invoice itself
The law is a backstop; the invoice is the plan. Four lines that save more arguments than any statute:
- A payment term with a date. "Net 30, due November 1" beats "due upon receipt," which nobody defines the same way twice.
- A late-fee rate. Name a monthly percentage and check it against your state's caps before you print it. An unenforceable rate helps nobody.
- How to pay. Check, ACH, card. Spell out who eats the card fee if it matters to you.
- The governing law. One line, "governed by the laws of [state]," decides which deadline table applies if the job crosses state lines.
One more line that earns its ink in South Carolina and states like it: a notice that payment is governed by the prompt-payment act. In South Carolina, you cannot collect the 1 percent monthly interest unless the payer was notified that the act applies. Print it on the invoice and the notice requirement is handled.
The case where neither the contract nor the law gives you a date
Verbal agreement, no written contract, no prompt-payment coverage for your job type. Then "reasonable time" applies, and courts look at what the parties did before, what the trade custom is, and how complex the job was. Thirty days is the custom in most trades; nobody will call 45 outrageous. Past 60 with no explanation, most contractors start the escalation ladder: a firm written reminder with a date, then a notice of intent to lien or sue, then the lien or the claim. The exact ladder depends on your state's lien deadline, which is measured from last furnishing of labor or materials, not from the invoice date. Do not learn that distinction the expensive way.
One thing that saves more arguments than any statute: write the term on the invoice, know your state's ceiling, and act at 60 days past due at the latest. A late invoice is a small-claims filing or a lien notice away from being somebody else's problem.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a client have to pay a contractor invoice?
There is no single national deadline. Your contract's payment terms come first; where the contract is silent, state prompt-payment laws set default deadlines, typically 7 to 60 days. Without a contract, industry custom and your state's law decide.
What are state prompt payment laws for contractors?
Statutes that set maximum payment deadlines and interest penalties for construction payments. Examples: Virginia requires owners to pay within 60 days, South Carolina within 21 days, and Louisiana within 35 days of a written payment request, with monthly penalties for late payment.
What payment terms should a contractor put on an invoice?
A due date or term like Net 30, a late-fee rate (check your state's usury and penalty caps first), the acceptable payment methods, and the state whose law governs. Written terms beat any verbal agreement.
Can a client withhold payment over a disputed line item?
In most prompt-payment states, no. A dispute over part of an invoice does not justify withholding the undisputed portion; laws like Louisiana's Act 822 require the undisputed amount to be paid promptly while the rest is resolved.
Related reading: What Payment Terms to Write on a Contractor Invoice · The Contractor's Guide to Late Fees · Your Client Won't Pay: The Steps in Order · Progress Invoices Explained