A quick and easy guide to help contractors understand the term retainage and learn the process to manage it, with bonus facts that can be of great value when dealing with retainage in real-world scenarios.
Retainage has become a vital part of the contracting and construction process. If defined precisely, retainage is a practice of withholding a particular percentage of the payment until the project is delivered.
However, the practice can turn to be a challenge for small contractors, as it is laid over a lack of trust in the potential and abilities of a contractor, which might cause financial downtime at the later stages of the project when contractors need to pay bills.
Since 2020 proved to be a tough year for the entire construction industry, project owners, general contractors and construction firms new to the industry must understand what exactly retainage is. It is equally important for small contractors and subcontractors to understand the right way to manage the retainage.
Reprinted courtesy of Ed Williams, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.
