Statutory declaration

Established

Also: CCDC 9A, WSIB clearance certificate

A sworn written statement by the contractor, provided with payment applications or at close-out, declaring that its subcontractors and suppliers have been paid and that there are no outstanding claims, except as listed.

Explanation

Statutory declarations are commonly required with applications for release of holdback and final payment, and often with progress payments; in Canadian practice the declaration form CCDC 9A is widely used. Under the OAA/OGCA Take-Over Procedures, the contractor's application for the certificate of substantial performance includes a statutory declaration, cost statements, a holdback invoice and a WSIB clearance certificate. Owners rely on these declarations, together with the lien period, to manage the risk of paying while subcontractors remain unpaid.

Practical example

With its application for release of basic holdback, the contractor submits a statutory declaration listing one disputed subcontract amount, and a WSIB clearance certificate showing its premiums are paid.

Why it matters

It is the owner's main paper protection against paying twice for the same work.

Standards and references

  1. OAA/OGCA Take-Over Procedures (Document No. 100). Ontario Association of Architects and Ontario General Contractors Association, 2019.Widely accepted professional interpretation
    Supports: Statutory declaration, cost statements, holdback invoice and WSIB clearance certificate with the application for substantial performance · Status: Written under the former Construction Lien Act (reissued January 2019); check figures against the current Construction Act.

VDC Stack.io writes its own explanations and does not reproduce copyrighted standards text. Consult the cited standard for normative wording.

Cite this entry

Show citation text

VDC Stack.io. (2026). Statutory declaration. In VDC Stack.io Knowledge Dictionary. Retrieved from https://vdcstack.io/dictionary/statutory-declaration/