FAQ's Certificates of Payment

FAQs Certificate for Payment (CP)

Q: How do I include the Contractor's progress claim in the Certificate of Payment (CP)?

A: When you create a new Certificate for Payment there is the option to attach files.  A copy of the Contractors progress claim can be attached to the CP along with any other supporting documentation.

Q: Unable to create a new Certificate for Payment (CP)

A: RForm is designed so that there can only be a single active Certificate of Payment per project. One reason you may not be able to create a new CP, is that the previous CP has not been Certified. For example CP 1 must be Certified before CP 2 can be created.

Q: Unable to certify a Certificate for Payment. 

A:  Confirm that there is a person assigned to each of the Project Team roles.  A minimum of 1 person needs to be assigned in each project team role.  You can confirm this by clicking on the Project  Team tab to see who is in what role.

Q: How to record the release of a Deficiency holdback.  

A:  The Deficiency Holdback feature in RForm is not accumulative and is not automatically tracked or carried forward with each Certificate for Payment (CP).  The amount of Deficiency Holdback needs to be updated with each CP.  In order to release the Deficiency Holdback the remaining value of the deficiency is entered.

Example 1: CP 1 Deficiency Holdback was $5000, then on CP 2 there is no longer a deficiency.  On CP 2, enter zero in the Deficiency amount. 

Example 2: CP 1 Deficiency Holdback was $5000, then on CP 2 there $3000 is to be released.  Enter $2000 in the deficiency holdback ($5000 - $3000 = $2000). 

Please note that the CPs are based on Progress to Date, which includes any deficiencies that may be withheld.  Therefore, sometimes when a deficiency is released the total Progress certified may differ from that being claimed by the Contractor if the Deficiency was not identified on the Contractors progress claim.

Q:  How to apply a client's union deduction of 0.5% to change orders at time of certifying payment. The 0.5% deduction does not apply to the base contract schedule of values. Is there a way of making a 0.5% to approved change orders amounts when certifying payment?

A: This can be done in 2 different ways but would need to be coordinated prior to certifying the payment.

1. Have the contractor Include the deduction in his quote as a separate line item for the change order and break it out in the paperwork that way for record purposes. 

2. Alternatively, create a separate PCO that itemizes and lists the deductions for the entire certifying period.

Q:  Can the amount of the progress payment being certified be adjusted manually.  There are times when there is a round off difference of 1 penny and some Owners like to have amounts match exactly.

A: The rounding off for taxes or holdbacks can not be manually adjusted.  The contractor could be convinced to correct the progress claim, or use one of the Holdback or Deposit fields to adjust for the exact amount.  Please note that the round off may disappear in subsequent Certificates for Payment and the Holdback or Deposit amounts would need to be adjusted accordingly.

Q:  Can the naming of the line items in the Certificate for Payment (CP) schedule be renamed?

A:  In order to rename the line items in the CP, the original  Schedule of Values on the preceding tab will need to be edited.  For record keeping and reference purposes before making the change you may want to print and or save a hardcopy or pdf of CP (prior to the renaming).

Q:  Can’t re-open a Certificate for Payment (CP), “Re-Open” Button not showing?

A:  A CP can only be opened if it is the last CP in the list.  So if there is a Draft, issued or other CP afterwards, then there is no way to re-open the CP unless the last CP in the list is deleted.  For example: If there are CP 1, CP2 and CP3, and you would like to re-open CP 2.  CP 3 must first be deleted.  The reason for this is that if a CP has been paid out then the record of those amounts paid out can not be changed.

Q. Change Order (CO) line item reads 100% instead of 0%.  Can this be changed?

A. There are 2 possible reasons for this:

1. Confirm that the box to the left of the approved CO is not checked.  Checking the box to the left, automatically assigns  100% value to the CO.  If it is left unchecked, then the % or $ value can be entered in the amount completed field.

 2. The CO may have already been included and paid out on a previous CP.

There is also a short help video to help explain the edit process.

Q:  When a Certificate for Payment (CP) is approved by the owner, is there any way to notify the team it is in progress ie. That the owner has approved it and payment is on the way? 

A: The team can be notified when the CP is certified, and a note can be included in the pop up dialogue box, and selecting those team members to be notified.  Alternatively, after Certification, the Prime can “Add a Comment” and similarly select those team members to be notified.

Q. Can I change the name of Project Team Member on the Certificate of Payment?

A.  Once the payment has been "Certified" the Owner name on the certificate can't be changed. Only future Certificates of Payment will reflect the default name change for the owner that you made, but not past certified ones.