KiwiCode builds custom Construction Act payment workflows for Ontario ICI contractors in Hamilton and across the Hamilton-Niagara region: holdback tracking, proper invoices, subcontractor pay gates, and payment automation built for Ontario law.
Hamilton is a growing ICI hub in Ontario's Golden Horseshoe. The St. Catharines-Niagara- Hamilton corridor has seen a 35% increase in ICI investment in recent years, driven by industrial expansion along the Redhill corridor, commercial development in the downtown core, and institutional construction across the city. For ICI contractors and major subs working in this market, the volume and complexity of contract work is increasing faster than administrative capacity.
KiwiCode builds custom ICI payment and compliance software for Ontario contractors. The specific pain points we address: holdback tracking under the Construction Act (10% statutory holdback, basic and finishing holdback mechanics, trust fund obligations), proper invoice generation that meets the statutory definition and triggers payment clocks correctly, subcontractor pay gates with WSIB clearance and COI verification, and payment workflows that connect contract milestones to disbursement.
Hamilton contractors working on industrial and commercial projects deal with multi-tier subcontractor chains, overlapping contracts, and holdback that must be tracked separately per prime contract. Generic software treats these as simple accounts payable. They are not. Ontario's Construction Act creates legal obligations around when holdback can be released, what a proper invoice must contain, and what notice must be given when payment will not be made in full within the 28-day window.
US-built platforms designed for US construction markets do not model Ontario's payment regime. The prompt payment timelines, notice of non-payment requirements, adjudication process, and holdback trust fund obligations require purpose-built Ontario-specific workflows. KiwiCode is an Ontario team. We understand the Construction Act framework, WSIB clearance certificate requirements, HST handling on holdback releases, and the trust fund implications of subcontractor payment. We build software that operationalizes compliance, and we scope pilots before committing to a full build.
10% statutory holdback tracked per prime contract, with basic and finishing holdback mechanics and trust fund obligation visibility.
Generate invoices that meet the Construction Act statutory definition (date, amount, description, period, payer/payee) and trigger the 28-day payment clock correctly.
Stop payments until WSIB clearance certificates and certificates of insurance are current. No manual chasing.
Connect contract milestones to disbursement. Notice of non-payment within 14 days, adjudication escalation path, and payment schedule aligned to Construction Act timelines.
US-built construction platforms like Procore, Buildertrend, and Sage are designed for US lien laws and payment structures. Ontario's Construction Act operates on different mechanics: proper invoices trigger a 28-day payment obligation, payers must issue notice of non-payment within 14 days, and holdback trust fund obligations create legal exposure for improper release. These are not toggles you can enable in US-built software.
KiwiCode is an Ontario team. We start from the Construction Act framework and build workflow around your specific operation: HST handling, WSIB clearance requirements, holdback trust fund mechanics, and adjudication escalation paths are the baseline, not an afterthought.
We scope pilots before committing to a full build. Book a fit call to walk through your current workflow and identify where Construction Act compliance can be operationalized.
Ontario ICI construction payment compliance software. Learn more about our ICI service.