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Three copies are on the table. One of them goes in the jacket. You tap the edge of each stack with your index finger, cross-referencing the stamped date in the top right corner of the first sheet of each set. No smudges, no missing signature lines, no last-minute handwritten add-ons that weren’t circulated to all parties last week. You already matched the line items to the approved schedule of values 20 minutes ago, so the only remaining step is sorting which version belongs in the permanent jacket for this pay period.
Compare the dual pay request line items
You’re only evaluating two formal line sets here, because any other copies of this pay request are either drafts, unapproved edits, or versions shared for preliminary review that don’t carry the required stamps to be considered official. The two line sets are identical in format, printed on the same company letterhead, with the same 27 line items listed in the same order, but small, critical differences in the billed amounts and supporting documentation separate the valid filed copy from the ones that will be distributed for informational purposes only. The first line tracks all field-verified work completed between the last draw cutoff and this one, signed by the site foreman and the owner’s on-site representative. The second line tracks the line items as originally submitted to the accounting team two weeks prior, before any adjustments for incomplete punch list work or material delivery delays that popped up in the final 72 hours before the draw submission deadline.
| Evaluation Criterion | Line 1: Field-Verified Version | Line 2: Office-Submitted Version |
|---|---|---|
| Completion Verification | Signed off on 100% of billed work by both site foreman and owner’s on-site rep | Includes 12% of billed work that was not fully completed as of the draw cutoff date |
| Supporting Documentation | Attached receipts for all material deliveries and timecard logs for billed labor hours | Missing 3 receipts for specialty lumber deliveries that arrived after the initial submission |
| Change Order Alignment | Includes only approved, signed change orders numbered 1 through 4 | Includes a draft change order 5 that has not yet been signed by the owner |
| Cutoff Date Adherence | All listed work was completed on or before the 15th of the month, the official draw cutoff | Includes 8 hours of labor scheduled for the 16th, which falls outside the current pay period |
Every discrepancy between the two lines traces back to changes that occurred in the three days between the initial office submission and the official draw cutoff, when field teams completed final inspections and confirmed which work was fully finished and eligible for billing. Illustrative example: The $14,200 line item for exterior framing work appears on both versions, but the field-verified line notes that 15% of that work was not fully squared and inspected as of the cutoff, so the billed amount for that line is adjusted to $12,070 on Line 1. That adjustment was documented in the daily field log on the 14th, and a copy of that log is attached to the field-verified version to support the change. You won’t find that log attached to the office-submitted version, because the log was filled out 8 hours after the accounting team sent the initial draft to all stakeholders.
Label the controlling version for this pay period
The controlling version is always the field-verified line set, no exceptions. You grab a blue permanent marker and write “CONTROLLING COPY – PAY PERIOD ENDING 10/15/2024” in large, capital letters across the top of the first page of the correct stack, then initial and date the note in the bottom right corner. You don’t use a pen that will smudge if the jacket gets damp from being transported to and from the job site, and you make the label large enough that it’s visible even if the jacket is flipped open quickly without pulling all the papers out. You also add a small sticky note to the first page that flags the adjusted exterior framing line item, so anyone reviewing the copy later doesn’t have to cross-reference every line against the office submission to find the key difference. You do not write on any other copies, as the other two will be sent to the accounting team and the owner’s project manager respectively, with a cover sheet noting that the filed controlling copy is the official version of record for any future disputes or line item questions. You make a quick note in your project management tool that the controlling copy is filed, and note the adjusted total draw amount for this period, so the accounting team can reconcile their records against the official version when they receive their informational copy later today. You don’t alter any of the content on the pay request itself, only add the label and your initials, so the original stamps and signatures remain fully intact and unobscured. You also paperclip a printed copy of the comparison table you just reviewed to the back of the controlling copy, so anyone accessing it later can immediately see why this version was selected over the original office submission.
File the correct copy in your project documentation
You slide the labeled controlling copy into the left pocket of the jacket, making sure it sits flat against the previous pay period’s controlling copy, no folded edges or sticking pages that will tear when the jacket is opened later. You tuck the supporting receipts, timecard logs, and daily field log entries into the right pocket, organized in the same order as the line items listed on the first page of the pay request, so you don’t have to sort through loose papers if you need to pull a specific receipt later. You double check that the project number and street address of the job site are printed clearly on the spine of the jacket, so it will be easy to find in the filing cabinet alongside the 12 other active project jackets you manage this quarter. You make sure the jacket is placed in the correct section of your fireproof filing cabinet, sorted by project start date, so you don’t have to search through unrelated residential or commercial project folders when you need to pull it later. You confirm that the previous four pay periods’ controlling copies are all in the same jacket, in chronological order, so the full record of payments for the project is stored in a single, easy-to-access location. You don’t add any extra loose papers to the jacket that aren’t directly related to the pay request’s supporting documentation, because clutter will make it harder to find the exact page you need if you are asked to verify line items later. If you receive any additional signed confirmations related to this pay period in the next 7 days, you will paperclip them to the back of the supporting documentation stack for this period, so they stay attached to the correct controlling copy.
Reference this page when you pull the jacket for next month’s draw
When you sit back at this same desk in 30 days to process the next pay period’s draw, you will pull this page first to confirm you follow the same sorting process, no deviations. You will cross-reference the controlling copy you filed today against the next period’s submitted line items to make sure any adjusted amounts from this period (like the partially completed exterior framing work) are carried over correctly if the remaining work is finished in the next window. You will also check the date you noted on the controlling copy to confirm the next cutoff date falls exactly 30 days after this one, per the project’s draw schedule, so no work falls through the cracks between pay periods. You won’t have to re-learn the sorting process each month, because this page lays out the exact steps you follow to identify, label, and file the correct controlling copy every time. You will use the same table format to compare the field-verified and office-submitted line sets next month, so your process remains consistent across every pay period for the duration of the project. If any changes to the draw process are agreed upon by all stakeholders before the next pay period, you can jot those notes in the margins of this page, so you don’t forget to implement them when you sit down to sort the next set of copies. You don’t need to print a new copy of this page each month; you can keep this single sheet tucked in the front of your active project folder, so it’s always within arm’s reach when you start sorting draw copies each pay period. You don’t need to share this page with anyone else unless they are taking over draw processing duties for you while you are out of the office, because it is tailored to your workflow and the specific filing system you use for your active projects. If you do hand off these duties, you will walk them through the steps on this page using this pay period’s filed copy as a reference, so they understand exactly why each step matters and how to avoid misfiling the wrong copy.
