Ontario's new rule as of January 1
Miss a 14-day holdback notice, risk losing your payment rights.
The rules just got harder.
Built for Ontario contractors and their bookkeepers using QuickBooks
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Three simple steps to never miss a deadline.
Input your project details: location, start date, contract value, and holdback amounts. Takes 90 seconds.
We calculate every Ontario Construction Act deadline automatically. Payment claim deadlines, lien filing dates, everything.
Receive notifications 7, 3, and 1 day before critical deadlines. Email or SMS, your choice.
Stop relying on memory or sticky notes. Get automatic alerts before every lien deadline so you never lose your payment rights.
No more spreadsheet formulas or calendar reminders. BuilderLien calculates every deadline and alerts you automatically.
One missed deadline can cost $50,000+. BuilderLien costs less than one hour with a construction lawyer.
All plans include full access to Ontario Construction Act deadline tracking and 2026 changes.
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Questions? We're here to help.
Email hello@builderlien.ca
No. BuilderLien tracks deadlines and ensures you have time to seek proper legal advice. We're not lawyers, we're deadline guardians. Always verify your obligations with a construction lawyer before taking action.
BuilderLien calculations are based on Ontario's Construction Act as updated for 2026. However, construction law is complex, and every project is unique. We recommend always verifying critical deadlines with a construction lawyer who specializes in your project type. BuilderLien is a tool to help you stay organized, not a replacement for legal counsel.
You can edit your project dates anytime, and all deadlines will recalculate automatically. We recommend double-checking your project start date (the most critical input) against your contract and project documents before finalizing. BuilderLien alerts you as a safety net—not as your only safeguard.
As of January 1, 2026, Ontario's Construction Act requires annual holdback release through a cascade process: contract anniversary triggers the process, owner publishes notice within 14 days, owner pays holdback 60-74 days after notice, and general contractor pays subcontractors within 14 days. BuilderLien tracks every deadline in this cascade automatically.
Within 14 days of your contract anniversary, the project owner must publish a notice of intended holdback release. This notice starts the 60-74 day payment window. Missing this deadline affects the payment timeline, but your lien rights remain intact under the 2026 rules.
For contracts signed before January 1, 2026, the first mandatory annual holdback release occurs on the second anniversary after January 1, 2026. This transition rule gives existing projects time to adjust to the new requirements.
No. Bill 60 originally proposed automatic lien expiration, but this provision was scrapped. Under the current 2026 rules, your lien rights remain intact and do not expire automatically. You still need to preserve and perfect your lien within existing timeframes.
Yes. BuilderLien automatically calculates every deadline in the 2026 annual holdback cascade, including contract anniversary dates, 14-day notice windows, 60-74 day payment periods, and subcontractor payment deadlines. You'll receive alerts 7, 3, and 1 day before each deadline.