Milestone payment
Civil Engineering Procedure, 7th edition, published by the Institution of Civil Engineers, defines the term ‘milestone payment’ or ‘planned progress payment’ as:
| Payment to a contractor in a series of lump sums, each paid upon his achieving a ‘milestone’ – meaning a defined stage of progress. Use of the word milestone usually means that the payment is based upon progress in completing what the promoter (client) wants. Payment based upon achieving defined percentages of a contractor’s programme of activities is also known as a ‘planned payment’ scheme. |
NB: The Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (also known as the Construction Act) includes provisions to ensure that payments are made promptly throughout the supply chain, including the right to be paid in interim, periodic or stage payments on contracts that exceed 45 days.
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