Construction retention software

Retention you can see, held and released without a spreadsheet

Retention is withheld automatically as your progress claims are certified, tracked held-to-date against the head contract, and released at the milestones you agreed, practical completion and end of defects, with approval kept honestly separate from the cash.

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The retention register in BuildPass

Trusted by builders across the country

From custom-home builders to commercial head contractors, teams run their projects on BuildPass.

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JCG

Retention is real money, so it shouldn't live in a spreadsheet that drifted from the contract

The whole position, at a glance

Held-to-date, released, approved-not-settled, and still-held sit on one card against the head contract, so the retention balance is current instead of reconstructed at the end.

Held automatically as you certify

Retention is withheld at certification on your contract's rate and cap, straight off the certified amount, so the held total is right from the first claim.

Approval kept separate from cash

Approving a release freezes the amount; the money only moves when you record settlement, so approved-but-unpaid is a state you can see, not a gap you find later.

Everything retention needs, in one register

From automatic withholding to released cash at completion.

The retention position card

See held, released and still held

Read withheld-to-date, released, approved-not-settled, and still-held on one card against the head contract.

Retention withheld at certification

Withhold automatically

Retention is held at certification on the contract's rate and cap, off the certified amount, with no manual deduction each period.

The release schedule

Release on the milestones you agreed

A release schedule shows practical completion and the defects liability period with the amount eligible at each, so you release the right slice at the right time.

Approving a release

Approve without moving cash

Approving freezes the amount for the record; the held balance only falls when you record settlement, so the approved-but-unpaid position stays visible.

Recording settlement

Record settlement, in full or in part

Record the cash paid against a release, with partial settlements carried forward, so the held balance always matches reality.

Subcontractor retention projection

See subcontractor retention too

A live money-out projection shows the retention you hold from subcontractors alongside the retention held from you, so the net position is legible.

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Retention is the last piece of the money-in picture

It sits on the money-in side of Win to Pay, built directly on progress claims and the head contract. The rate, cap, and release schedule are set once on the contract; every time a progress claim is certified, retention is withheld off the certified amount and added to the running held-to-date balance. When it's time to get the money back, you release against that same balance at practical completion and end of defects, and record settlement as the client pays. Where bills track the retention you owe subcontractors, this is the retention the client owes you.

RetentionProgress claimsSchedule of valuesBillsSubcontracts
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Retention held on claims and released at completion

Frequently asked questions

Automatically, when you certify a progress claim. It's held on the rate and cap set on your head contract, calculated off the certified amount, and added to the running held-to-date balance, so the total held is always right without a manual deduction each period.

On the milestones you agreed. The release schedule shows practical completion, a set proportion of what's held, and the defects liability period, which releases the remainder. You can also raise a manual release at any time.

Approving a release freezes the amount, but no cash moves on approval. The money only leaves the held balance when you record settlement, so approved-but-unsettled is retention you've signed off but haven't been paid yet, a state you can see rather than a surprise at the end.

Yes. Eligibility is advisory, not a hard block. You can release ahead of a milestone or above the scheduled amount by adding a reason, which is kept on the record.

All of them. It's the same instrument under different names, security withheld against a contract and returned at completion, and the register reads in your market's language.