GC Laws — Iowa contractor-law checklist preview (free)
Sources reviewed 2026-09-30. Public summaries remain free on gclaws.com.

[ ] Licensing
      - A construction contractor within §91C.1 registers with the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing under §91C.2. The definition excludes a person earning less than $2,000 annually from the covered activity and includes the statute’s other specified exclusions.
      - Registration requires the specified workers’ compensation coverage or exemption information and workforce-development account information. A nonresident contractor generally supplies the $25,000 bond or qualifying transportation prequalification described in §91C.2.

[ ] Mechanic's liens
      - Section 572.8 requires a verified statement of account in the state Mechanics’ Notice and Lien Registry, with the credited amount, furnishing dates, property description and owner information.
      - Section 572.9 permits posting within two years and 90 days after last furnishing, but posting more than 90 days after last furnishing invokes §572.10’s owner-service requirement and §572.11’s limits tied to the unpaid owner balance, subject to the separate bond rule. The outer period should not be treated as equivalent to timely posting within 90 days.
      - Residential construction has the owner-notice and registry provisions in §§572.13–.13B. On commercial construction, §572.33 imposes a 30-day first-furnishing notice on persons supplying a subcontractor.

[ ] Retainage
      - Section 573.12 now caps public progress retention at 3%. Retention from a subcontractor is limited to the lesser of 3% or the percentage specified in the subcontract.
      - Under §573.14 the fund ordinarily remains held for 30 days after completion and final acceptance. Proper claims can require continued withholding of the statutory doubled claim amount while the balance is released. The section preserves its contrary-federal-requirement exception.

[ ] Prompt payment
      - Section 573.12 provides monthly payment on the architect’s or engineer’s estimate. For a progress payment approved as payable, interest ordinarily applies after 14 days from receipt of the request at the designated place or by the designated recipient. Contract documents may extend that interval to no more than 30 days to allow inspection and review.
      - The contractor passes the corresponding amounts to subcontractors within seven days after receipt, or within a reasonable time after it could have received payment if the delay is not attributable to the subcontractor, as specified in §573.12.

[ ] Prevailing wage
      - For covered construction, the guide requires at least the U.S. Department of Labor prevailing rate for the project type and locality. It identifies the exemption for housing-conversion projects with seven or fewer units.
      - Recipients request a wage determination through Iowagrants.gov 30 days before the bid advertisement and contact the agency ten days before bid opening to verify currency. Wage determinations belong in bid solicitations and construction contracts and must be posted conspicuously at the work site.
      - The guide requires weekly payment and weekly contractor/subcontractor payroll review, including the compliance statement, for covered work.

[ ] Davis-Bacon (federal)
      - Under 40 U.S.C. section 3142, covered contracts require payment to laborers and mechanics employed directly on the site of the work at least weekly, at rates no lower than the applicable prevailing wage determination. The required compensation includes the basic hourly rate and required fringe benefits, which may be provided through qualifying benefits or cash as the statute permits.
      - Qualifying apprentices may receive a lower registered-program rate only when the applicable registration and program conditions are met. The Department of Labor’s apprenticeship rules govern those exceptions.
      - The Department of Labor determines the prevailing rates for the work classifications and locality. Contractors and subcontractors must use the wage determination applicable to their covered contract.
      - Federal assistance alone does not establish coverage: many, but not all, construction-assistance statutes include Davis-Bacon requirements. Identify the funding program and its governing Related Act.
      - SAM.gov publishes Davis-Bacon wage determinations. Search by the wage-determination number or the Davis-Bacon public-buildings-or-works category, and match the decision to the contract, locality, and work classification.

This preview lists the topics and rules covered in the full state pack. The paid pack adds the complete source URLs, citations, review dates, and the three editable tools.
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