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

[ ] Licensing
      - Section 58-55-301 requires licensure before engaging in a regulated trade or contracting activity unless an exemption in §58-1-307 or §58-55-305 applies. The official compilation marks this provision superseded January 1, 2027, so the future replacement is not used here.
      - DOPL states that a departing qualifier and the licensed business must notify it within 10 days, and the business ordinarily has 60 days to replace the qualifier.

[ ] Mechanic's liens
      - Section 38-1a-501 requires preliminary notice within 20 days after starting construction work. A late notice generally excludes work supplied before five days after filing, and has no effect if filed more than 10 days after the notice of completion.
      - Section 38-1a-502 generally requires county recording within 180 days after final completion of the original contract, shortened to 90 days after a filed notice of completion without exceeding 180 days. A subcontractor doing substantial work after occupancy/final inspection has the separate 180-day-from-own-completion rule.

[ ] Retainage
      - Section 13-8-5(3) sets the 5% caps. Owner/public-agency retained money must be separately accounted for in an interest-bearing account for the contractor/subcontractors under subsection (4).
      - Under subsection (5), requested retention and accrued interest are released within 45 days after the latest applicable statutory trigger: receipt of the bill, occupancy/final-acceptance notice, permitted occupancy/use without a certificate, or acceptance of final pay quantities. Partial occupancy yields proportional release.
      - Subsection (8) allows necessary withholding for breach/default and, after substantial completion, up to twice the fair-market value of incomplete/nonconforming work, with a written explanation within 45 days.

[ ] Prompt payment
      - Section 13-8-5(9) requires an original contractor or subcontractor receiving retained funds to pay each subcontractor its share within 10 days; specifically designated retention goes to that subcontractor.
      - Subsection (10) gives the successful party attorney fees and allowable costs in an action to recover unlawfully retained proceeds; knowing and wrongful withholding adds 2% per month on the withheld sum, in addition to other interest.

[ ] Prevailing wage
      - The Grid Resilience program instructs covered contractors and subcontractors to pay laborers and mechanics the applicable prevailing wages and benefits for similar work in the locality.
      - The program directs recipients to SAM.gov wage determinations and to the grant program specialist when a project-specific determination or a missing work classification needs to be resolved. A missing search result is not a wage exemption.

[ ] 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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