On December 9, 2020, Bill 37 received royal assent. The Bill
proposed amendments to the Province of Alberta's
Builders' Lien Act (the "Act") which are
expected to come into force in July 2021.
The amendments will only affect a contract or subcontract signed
after July 2021. Bill 37 attempts to modernize the Act by proposing
changes to (i) prompt payment; (ii) adjudication of construction
disputes; and (iii) builders' liens registration and
information. The Bill also renames the Act, the Prompt Payment
and Construction Lien Act to reflect this change.
Prompt Payment
Bill 37 establishes the following changes to ensure the
prompt payment of builders' liens:
- 28 day timeline for project owners to pay invoices to general
contractors;