D.C. Code § 27A-101

This is the official text of D.C. Code § 27A-101, part of District of Columbia’s Code — part of the compiled statutory law of District of Columbia, published by the state as "Code." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

§ 27A-101. Definitions.

Official statutory text

(a) For the purposes of this chapter , the term:
(1) "Contract" means:
(A) A construction contract that is an agreement of any kind of nature, express or implied, to provide labor or materials, or both, for demolition, building, renovation, alteration, or maintenance of buildings, roadways, and structures; or
(B) A food service contract that is an agreement of any kind of nature, express or implied, for doing work or furnishing materials, or both.
(2) "Contractor" means a person, entity, or business that has a contract with an owner.
(3) "Subcontractor" means:
(A) A person, entity, or business that has a contract with a contractor;
(B) A person, entity, or business that has a contract with a subcontractor; or
(C) A person, entity, or business that performs work on a construction site for a contractor or another subcontractor or that fabricates materials off-site, from plans and specifications unique to the project, for installation on the construction site.
(4) "Owner" means an owner of the property or a tenant; provided, that the tenant enters into contract with a contractor. The term "owner" does not include a District agency as that term is defined in § 2-221.01(3) .
(5) "Undisputed amount" means an amount owed on a contract or a subcontract for which there is no good-faith dispute, including any retainage withheld.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in District of Columbia?

Find a District of Columbia lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.