AIA G706, G706A, G707, and G707A: What They Are and What You Need Before They Get Executed

You are not searching for a form number because you are curious about AIA document conventions. You are searching because final payment is stalled, someone asked you for a G706 or G707A, and you need to understand exactly what that means and what has to happen before it gets executed. This article gives you the full picture.

The AIA closeout form stack: what each document does

AIA publishes a family of contract documents. The ones that come up at closeout and final payment are a specific subset. Here is each form, who signs it, and what it actually represents:

AIA G706: the Contractor's Affidavit of Payment of Debts and Claims

The G706 is a sworn affidavit executed by the general contractor, not the subcontractor. The GC is certifying under oath that every party who performed work or supplied materials on the project has been paid, or that any unpaid claims are specifically identified and disclosed. The owner requires this before releasing final payment because it shifts legal exposure: if a sub later files a lien claiming non-payment, the GC's sworn G706 creates a legal record of their representation.

As a subcontractor, your path to receiving your final payment runs through the GC's G706 process. That means your closeout documentation needs to be complete, organized, and accepted before the GC will release your final check and sign the G706 on the owner side.

AIA G706A: the Contractor's Affidavit of Release of Liens

The G706A is submitted alongside or immediately after the G706. Where the G706 addresses payment, the G706A addresses liens specifically. The GC is swearing that no mechanic's liens or materialman's liens have been filed against the project property, or if they have, that all such liens have been fully released and discharged.

Most contracts require both G706 and G706A as a package. The G706A is also where the GC will attach lien waivers collected from subcontractors and suppliers. If a sub has not provided a conditional or unconditional lien waiver, the GC cannot complete the G706A without exposing themselves to liability. This is one of the most common reasons final payment stalls at the sub tier: lien waivers that were never collected, submitted, or followed up on.

AIA G707 and G707A: Consent of Surety

If the project is bonded (required on most public projects and many private projects above a certain contract value), the G707 and G707A come into play. These forms are not executed by the GC. They are executed by the bonding company (surety) that issued the performance and payment bonds.

G707: Consent of Surety to Final Payment

Before the owner releases final payment on a bonded project, the surety must formally consent to that release. The G707 is the document that records that consent. The surety will not provide it until they are satisfied that the project is complete, all bond obligations have been met, and no outstanding claims threaten the bond. Getting the G707 typically requires the GC to provide the surety with the completed closeout documentation package, the G704, and evidence that all subs are paid.

G707A: Consent of Surety to Reduction in or Partial Release of Retainage

Many contracts allow retainage to be reduced from 10% to 5% at substantial completion, before the project is fully closed out. If the project is bonded, the owner requires the surety's written consent before making that retainage reduction. The G707A is that consent. The surety will evaluate the same factors as with the G707: is the project substantially complete, is the closeout moving, are there open claims?

AIA G704: the milestone that triggers everything else

Nothing in the G706 and G707 sequence can move without a G704 in place. The Certificate of Substantial Completion is the architect's formal determination that the project has reached substantial completion: the work is sufficiently complete that the owner can use it for its intended purpose, even if punch list items remain outstanding.

The G704 matters for three reasons. First, it starts the warranty clock on most systems and equipment. Second, it triggers the right to reduce retainage if the contract allows it. Third, it is the document the surety and owner reference when evaluating G707 and G706 requests. If the G704 has not been issued, or if the architect has withheld it because closeout documentation is incomplete, everything downstream stalls.

What the GC needs from your trade before they will process your final payment

This is where the process gets concrete for subcontractors. The GC's G706 and G706A are their problem to execute, but your final payment depends on them getting done. To process your final pay application and release retainage, a GC will typically require all of the following from each sub:

If any of these are missing, the GC has documentation in their pay application process that justifies withholding final payment. The owner's contract gives them that right explicitly in nearly every standard AIA contract form.

Why closeout documentation is the actual bottleneck, not the forms

Here is the thing most people miss when they are searching for G706 or G707A information: the AIA forms themselves are not hard to complete. They are two or three pages, and the GC or surety has completed hundreds of them. The bottleneck is almost never the form.

The bottleneck is the closeout documentation package that has to be accepted before the form can be executed. Specifically:

• The architect will not issue G704 until the closeout package is reviewed and accepted.
• The owner will not request G706 and G706A from the GC until G704 is in hand.
• The surety will not issue G707 or G707A until the project has demonstrated substantial completion with supporting documentation.
• The GC will not release sub-tier retainage until their own G706 and G706A process is complete.

Every one of those dependencies traces back to the same thing: is the closeout documentation package complete, organized, and submitted? If it is not, the GC is waiting on the architect, the owner is waiting on the GC, the surety is waiting on the owner, and your money is sitting in someone else's account accruing interest.

What 'AIA closeout documents' actually means in practice

When people search for 'AIA closeout documents,' they are usually looking for a list of the documents an AIA contract requires at project completion. The answer varies by contract, but most AIA A201-based contracts (the standard General Conditions) require the following from the contractor as a condition of final payment:

• All operation and maintenance data, including equipment manuals organized by CSI division
• All warranties and bonds required by the contract documents
• Record drawings (as-built documents) showing the work as actually installed
• Evidence that all outstanding obligations to subcontractors, suppliers, and vendors have been satisfied
• Final Application for Payment (AIA G702/G703)
• Affidavit of Payment of Debts and Claims (G706)
• Affidavit of Release of Liens (G706A)
• Consent of Surety if applicable (G707 or G707A)
• Keys, operating instructions, and training completion confirmation

Section 9.10 of AIA A201 is the specific clause that ties all of this together. It conditions the architect's issuance of the final Certificate for Payment on receipt of these documents. If you are a sub trying to understand what is holding up your final payment, A201 Section 9.10 is worth reading in your contract.

AIA G702 and G703: where the final payment request starts

G702 is the Application and Certificate for Payment. G703 is the Continuation Sheet, which is the Schedule of Values breakdown behind the pay application. These are the forms used by the GC (and often adapted for sub-tier use) to formally request payment throughout the project, including the final payment application.

The final G702/G703 is the request for the last draw, including retainage. The architect reviews it and, if everything is in order (meaning the closeout documentation is accepted, the G704 has been issued, and G706/G706A are in hand), issues a Certificate for Payment to the owner. The owner then releases the final check.

If the final G702 is sitting in the architect's office unsigned, it is almost always because one of the upstream conditions has not been met. The architect will not certify a final payment when there are open closeout items.

What to do right now if your final payment is stalled

If you are reading this because your retainage is tied up and you are trying to figure out what form or step is missing, here is the fastest way to diagnose it:

1. 1 Ask the GC in writing: has the G704 been issued? If not, find out what the architect is waiting for. It is almost always closeout documentation.
2. 2 Request the GC's closeout checklist for your trade. Every organized GC has one. If they do not, request their subcontractor closeout requirements from the project specification Division 01.
3. 3 Audit your closeout submission against that list. Do not assume your submission is complete because you emailed a folder. Confirm the GC has received it, reviewed it, and accepted it.
4. 4 Identify the specific missing items. O&M manuals, warranties, and test reports are the most common gaps. Get those to the GC immediately.
5. 5 Confirm your lien waivers are in order. Conditional waiver through your final pay app, unconditional waivers through all prior payments. If any are missing, the GC has a documented reason to hold your retainage.
6. 6 Follow up in writing at every step. Final payment disputes are much easier to resolve when you have a paper trail showing what was submitted, when, and what response you received.

How organized closeout documentation unblocks the AIA form sequence

The AIA form sequence (G704, G706, G706A, G707, G707A) is a checklist of completed obligations. Each form certifies that something is done. The work of actually getting to that point, collecting and organizing the underlying documentation, verifying completeness, and identifying what is still missing, is what takes time and creates delays.

A complete, organized closeout package that is reviewed for gaps before submission gives the architect what they need to issue G704, gives the GC what they need to execute G706 and G706A, and gives the surety what they need to issue G707 or G707A. The forms themselves take an afternoon. The documentation behind them is where the work is.