# California — Construction prompt payment act deadlines by US state — owner-to-contractor and contractor-to-subcontractor payment windows, retention release deadlines, and late-payment interest rates

For California, owner-to-gc payment deadline (days) is 30; gc-to-sub flow-down deadline (days) is 7; late-payment interest rate is 2% per month; project types covered is both; attorney fees recoverable is yes, recorded from its source on 2026-08-14.

- **State:** California _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Owner-to-GC payment deadline (days):** 30 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **GC-to-sub flow-down deadline (days):** 7
- **Late-payment interest rate:** 2% per month _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Project types covered:** both
- **Attorney fees recoverable:** yes
- **Statutory citation:** Cal. Civ. Code 8800; Cal. Pub. Cont. Code 10261.5, 20104.50 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> The <https://www.mechanicslien.com/california> California Prompt Payment Act forces public and private project owners to pay contractors within 30 days of receiving an undisputed invoice (Cal. Civ. Code 8800; Cal. Pub. Cont. Code 10261.5, 20104.50). Late payments accrue 2% per month interest plus attorney's fees for the prevailing party.

## Source

- https://mechanicslien.com/california-prompt-payment-act/

Last verified: 2026-08-14. Review by: 2027-08-14.
Part of [Construction prompt payment act deadlines by US state — owner-to-contractor and contractor-to-subcontractor payment windows, retention release deadlines, and late-payment interest rates](https://referencesource.org/construction-prompt-payment-deadlines-by-state/).