How pay points fail
Pay points rarely fail on the field work. They fail on the file: an unsigned document, an expired permit, a drawing set that does not match the permitted scope, a photo log nobody captured. The fix is an evidence inventory kept current against the deliverable checklist — not a heroic document hunt the week the invoice is due.
Pay point 1 — Package approval
- Completed site package with maps, citations, and required exhibits
- Customer acceptance or approval record on file
- Open conditions from the approval recorded as tracked items
Pay point 2 — Lease execution
- Fully executed lease with all exhibits attached
- Owner identity verified against the executed signature block
- Legal description and lease area exhibit consistent with the package
- Access and utility easements documented
Pay point 3 — Zoning approval
- Approval letter or determination on file — or documented confirmation that approval is not required
- Conditions of approval listed as tracked items with owners
- Hearing records retained where a hearing was required
Pay point 4 — Permits issued
- Permit copies on file with numbers, issuance dates, and expiration dates
- Permit conditions recorded and assigned
- Expiration dates checked against the construction schedule
Pay point 5 — Design approval
- Stamped drawing set on file at the approved revision
- Redline responses resolved and recorded
- Final for-construction set distributed and acknowledged
Pay point 6 — Construction readiness
- NTP letter issued and on file
- Contractor package handoff confirmed
- Access, utilities, and permits verified ready as of the NTP date
Pay point 7 — Closeout
- Completion notice and client acceptance documented
- As-built drawings filed
- Photo log complete per requirements
- Punch-list items resolved with sign-offs
- Inspection records retained
Pay point 8 — Invoice
- Billable deliverables packaged per the contract's documentation requirements
- Invoice references the PO and pay point correctly
- Submission confirmation retained
- Any short-pay or rejection reasons tracked to resolution
Keeping pay points honest
Two habits keep this list from decaying. First: the evidence inventory is updated when artifacts arrive, not when the pay point is due. Second: readiness is verified by the responsible party against the file — a pay point is never declared complete by the person who wants it to be complete.