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

[ ] Licensing
      - Project value includes labor, materials, rentals, and direct and indirect expenses, regardless of who pays them or whether they are donated.
      - A person acting as a contractor as defined in the chapter must hold an active license unless a statutory exception applies.
      - The chapter has specific exemptions; a threshold alone does not determine whether the particular person and work require licensure.

[ ] Mechanic's liens
      - Unless subsection B, C or D applies, file within 60 days after the notice of termination is filed, or after substantial completion or abandonment if no termination notice is filed.
      - For a section 4802 claimant where a notice of contract was properly and timely filed, file and deliver the claim copy to an owner whose address appears in that notice within 30 days after termination-notice filing, or six months after substantial completion or abandonment if no termination notice is filed.
      - A general contractor whose privilege was preserved under section 4811 files within 60 days after termination-notice filing, or seven months after substantial completion or abandonment if no termination notice is filed.
      - The 70-day residential extension applies only to the specified claimants when no timely notice of contract was filed and the owner receives the required nonpayment notice before the ordinary period expires and at least ten days before the claim is filed.

[ ] Retainage
      - Section 2248(A) limits contractual withholding to the stated caps until expiration of 45 days after recording formal acceptance or notice of contractor/subcontractor default.
      - Punch lists must include estimated correction costs. The agency may not withhold more than the punch-list value; completed items are paid after the 45-day lien period. The section cannot be waived and does not apply to DOTD.
      - Subsection C separately permits contractual liquidated-damage withholding on specified flood and integrated coastal-protection projects after the statutory period, considering granted time extensions.

[ ] Prompt payment
      - For properly performed work or qualifying stored/fabricated materials, the owner generally pays an amount payable under the contract within 35 days after receiving a written request, subject to lawful withholding. If the owner previously obtained a project loan and timely and properly requested disbursement, the due date is the later of 35 days after the request or five days after receipt of loan proceeds.
      - Contractors and subcontractors pass through the portion attributable to properly performed work and qualifying materials within seven days after receipt. A good-faith dispute does not excuse payment of the undisputed amount.
      - Overdue amounts incur a 1.5% monthly penalty as provided in subsection D. Waiver is null, but a written single-family-residence contract may allow payment up to 61 days after receipt of the payment request.
      - Public payments are due under the contract. Without reasonable cause, failure to pay a progress request within 45 days of a certified request triggers the statutory interest and attorney-fee remedy; final-payment relief follows formal final acceptance and 45 days after receipt of a clear lien certificate. These provisions cannot be waived.

[ ] Prevailing wage
      - For covered LCDBG construction, contractors must meet the applicable U.S. Department of Labor wage decision, including the wage and fringe rate for the classification and locality.
      - The local government is responsible for choosing the correct wage decision for construction type and project location and incorporating it into bid documents and the prime contract; the handbook requires subcontract labor-standard provisions.

[ ] 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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