# Massachusetts — 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 Massachusetts, owner-to-gc payment deadline (days) is 45; gc-to-sub flow-down deadline (days) is 45; late-payment interest rate is 12% per year; project types covered is both; attorney fees recoverable is no, verified against its source on 2026-08-15.

- **State:** Massachusetts _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Owner-to-GC payment deadline (days):** 45 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **GC-to-sub flow-down deadline (days):** 45 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Late-payment interest rate:** 12% per year _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Project types covered:** both _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Attorney fees recoverable:** no _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Statutory citation:** Mass. Gen. Laws c. 149 § 29E (private); M.G.L. c. 30 §§ 39F–39K (public) _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> both private and public construction projects. Private Projects Private construction projects in Massachusetts are regulated by <https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXI/Chapter149/Section29E> Mass. Gen. Laws. 149 § 29E . These rules apply to all private projects with an original contract price of $3 million or more , with one exception: MA prompt payment rules don’t apply to residential projects of 4 or fewer. Payment Deadlines for Private Projects Once a prime contractor has submitted a payment request on a private construction project, the owner has 15 days to either approve or deny the request . After approval, the owner then has 45 days to make payment to the prime. So Massachusetts private property owners have 60 total days from receipt of the pay request to release payment to the prime contractor. Private project payments from the GC down the chain follow the same basic formula, except Massachusetts Prompt Pay laws give each party an additional 7 days to approve or deny invoices. So the GC has 22 days to approve or deny a payment request from a subcontractor or supplier. Following invoice approval, the GC has 45 days to submit payment to subs and suppliers. Payments from subs to their sub-subs or suppliers must be approved within 29 days. If approved, payments must be released within 45 days. And so on down the payment chain. MA Penalties for Late Payment on Private Projects There are <https://www.levelset.com/prompt-payment/massachusetts-prompt-payment-faqs/#faq-item-private-projects-are-there-reasons-for-which-payment-may-be-withheld-past-the-general-deadline> specific circumstances provided in the statute regarding when payments can be rightfully withheld. However, if none of those circumstances exist, or payment is otherwise late, The private prompt pay statutes does not specifically state an interest rate, but the <https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleII/Chapter231/Section6c> general judgment interest rate for contract actions is 12% per year (1%/month).

## Source

- https://www.levelset.com/prompt-payment/massachusetts-prompt-payment-faqs/

Last verified: 2026-08-15. Review by: 2027-08-15.
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