What is an Automated Clearing House (ACH)?

A draw request (or construction draw) is a formal demand for payment submitted by a contractor or subcontractor to a lender, project owner, or general contractor for work completed during a specific phase of a project.

Submitted periodically alongside a schedule of values, a draw request details completed labor, materials installed, and stored items. Once submitted, it typically triggers a bank draw inspection to verify on-site progress before funds are released, ensuring project financing directly aligns with actual work completed.

‍How Siteline Helps:
Siteline accelerates the entire draw request workflow. Trade contractors can quickly assemble accurate pay applications, compile required backup documentation, and collect lien waivers in one place so draw requests get approved and paid without administrative back-and-forth.

Davis-Bacon refers to the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931, a pivotal labor law in the United States that impacts the construction industry. Established by Congress, this act ensures that workers on federal construction projects are paid at least the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits for corresponding work on similar projects in the area. This commonly applies to federally funded or assisted construction projects such as public buildings, highways or dams. The main goal of this law is to prevent non-local or out-of-state contractors from low-balling local firms on wages, providing a level playing field for all contractors and protecting local labor markets.

An unconditional lien waiver in the construction industry is a signed document from a contractor, subcontractor, materials supplier, laborer, or other party involved in a construction project, which gives up their right to place a lien on the property unconditionally, typically after they have received full or partial payment for their work or materials. It serves as a guarantee to the property owner that they will not face a lien, or legal claim against their property, for this party's unpaid work or supplies, regardless of whether the party is subsequently paid in full or not.

Unconditional waivers come in two forms, tied to when you're billing:

1. ‍Unconditional progress waiver: Submitted after you've been paid for a progress billing period. It waives your lien rights for the work covered by that payment.‍
2. Unconditional final waiver: Submitted after you've received full and final payment, including retainage. It waives all your lien rights for the entire project.

Unlike a conditional waiver, an unconditional waiver takes effect the moment you sign it—whether or not the money has actually arrived. That makes timing critical: never sign one until the payment has cleared your account, or you'll have given up your lien rights with no guarantee of getting paid.