What does Oklahoma’s prompt payment law require on private construction?
In Oklahoma, on a private construction project put out for bid, the owner must state the payment frequency and time in the bid plans and specifications, and if it does not, it must make monthly progress payments due within twenty-eight calendar days after receiving the billing, while the prime contractor must pay subcontractors within ten calendar days after being paid unless the parties agree otherwise. These bid-project rules do not apply to privately negotiated projects, where the contractor must instead define its payment terms when inviting subcontractor bids and put the same terms in the subcontract. A prime contractor or subcontractor not paid within ten calendar days of when payment should have been received may suspend work after giving ten calendar days’ written notice by certified mail or other verifiable service, and need not resume until undisputed amounts are paid, the schedule is extended and a change order covers the direct cost of the suspension. The act does not apply to any contract relating to a single-, two-, three- or four-family dwelling, and it provides no interest on late payments. A written contract can set its own payment terms where the statute allows. This is 15 O.S. §§ 820, 821.
| What | Oklahoma |
|---|---|
| Payment deadline | Owner pays in 28 days if unspecified; subs in 10 days |
| Who this covers | Private construction, not only public works |
What the statute says
“If the owner fails to comply with the provisions of paragraph 1 of this subsection, the following shall be applicable: a. the owner shall make monthly progress payments, and b. payments shall be due within twenty-eight (28) calendar days after receipt of billing.”
Quoted word for word from the section’s text.
Source
Read the statute in the Oklahoma Statutes (Oklahoma State Courts Network): oscn.net.
Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
A contractor on Seayora keeps every job’s dates, its estimate, its invoices and its payments in one record, so the date work was last performed, the date each invoice went out and the amount still owed are on file when a lien or payment deadline is counted.
Guides on this rule
- Prompt Payment Laws by State for Private Construction — How many days an owner has to pay a contractor on private construction, in each of the 36 jurisdictions with a prompt payment statute.
Compare this rule in every state
More Oklahoma rules
- How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Oklahoma?
- How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Oklahoma?
- How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Oklahoma?
- How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Oklahoma?
- What are squatters’ rights in Oklahoma?
- Is there rent control in Oklahoma?
- Can a domestic violence victim end a lease early in Oklahoma?
- Can a tenant sublet in Oklahoma?
- What happens if a tenant breaks a lease in Oklahoma?
- What can a landlord do with a tenant’s belongings left behind in Oklahoma?
- Do HVAC contractors need a license in Oklahoma?
- Do you need a license to do electrical work in Oklahoma?
- Do you need a license to work as a plumber in Oklahoma?
- Can you use a transfer-on-death deed in Oklahoma?
- How does joint tenancy with right of survivorship work in Oklahoma?
- What is the deadline to file a mechanic’s lien in Oklahoma?
- Does a home seller have to disclose the property’s condition in Oklahoma?
- What is the real estate transfer tax in Oklahoma?
- How long does a homeowner have to cancel a home improvement contract in Oklahoma?
- Do contractors charge sales tax in Oklahoma?
- Every Oklahoma rule on one page
The same question in other states
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky