Glossary
Waiver
The argument that a long period of billing the old price gave up the increase. It depends on the contract.
Customers sometimes say a contractor waived an escalator by billing the old price for a long time. Whether that argument works depends on the contract, including any 'no waiver' sentence, and on the governing law. RateClause is not a law firm and does not decide waiver.
What the audit does is flag the risk. If the old price has been billed for many cycles, the finding says so, quotes any no-waiver language, and separates a forward increase (often still available) from a backward claim (where waiver and back-billing limits both matter).
Do not hide the gap from the customer notice and do not overstate it. A notice that cites the clause and the effective date forward is a different document from a demand for three years of differences.
Continuing to bill the old price after you know about the clause is a choice. The audit's job is to make it a choice instead of an oversight.
Related terms
See it used in a worked example · CPI calculator · Request an audit
Sources and limits
Index levels from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, not seasonally adjusted, retrieved through the BLS Public Data API on November 1, 2026. Values are index points, not the headline 12-month percent.
Statewide rates reflect U.S. Department of Labor state minimum-wage postings as updated January 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Note on 2026 increases, and, for the prior-year comparison and named local rates, the National Employment Law Project compilation published in November 2025. Confirm the rate that applies to the workplace before using it in a bill.
The contracts in these worksheets are fictional. The prices are chosen so the arithmetic is easy to check. They are not a price survey and they are not client results.
RateClause is not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Your clause controls, including whether a past period can be rebilled at all.
Primary postings: BLS Consumer Price Index, U.S. Department of Labor, state minimum wages, U.S. Department of State notice of 2026 minimum-wage increases.