How do I handle retainage in my construction bookkeeping?
Retainage needs its own accounts in your chart of accounts. Most contractors make the mistake of lumping everything into regular accounts receivable, which makes it impossible to see what’s actually collectible now versus what’s held back until project completion.
Create a separate asset account called Retainage Receivable. This tracks what customers are holding from you. Create a separate liability account called Retainage Payable for what you’re holding from subcontractors. These accounts sit on your balance sheet and give you visibility into money that’s earned but not yet collectible, and money you owe but aren’t paying yet.
When you invoice a customer, split the entry. If you bill $50,000 and 10% retainage applies, $45,000 goes to regular accounts receivable and $5,000 goes to retainage receivable. The full $50,000 is still revenue because you’ve completed the work. You’ve earned it. The customer just isn’t paying all of it yet.
The same logic applies on the payable side. When a subcontractor invoices you for $20,000 with 10% retainage, record $18,000 to accounts payable and $2,000 to retainage payable. The full $20,000 is an expense against the job. You owe it. You’re just not paying it all yet.
Track retainage by project, not just in total. Knowing you have $47,000 in retainage receivable is useful. Knowing that $12,000 of that is from the Johnson project that hits final inspection next week is more useful. Your accounting software should let you assign retainage entries to specific jobs or projects. If it doesn’t, you need a better setup. Construction accounting requires this level of detail to be meaningful.
When retainage comes due, typically at substantial completion or after a warranty period, you move it from retainage to regular receivables or payables. Invoice the retainage amount, apply the payment when it arrives, and the retainage receivable account goes to zero for that job. Same process on the payable side when you release retainage to subs.
Getting retainage right affects more than just your balance sheet. Job costing depends on it. If you’re only looking at what’s been paid, you’re missing the true cost and revenue picture for each project. A job might look more profitable than it actually is because 10% of the costs are sitting in retainage payable, not yet recognized in your quick reports.
Cash flow forecasting also depends on accurate retainage tracking. You might have $100,000 in accounts receivable but if $30,000 of that is retainage that won’t be collected for six months, your actual near-term cash position is different than the receivables total suggests.
Follow up on retainage when it’s due. It’s easy to finish a project, move to the next one, and forget about the 5% or 10% still owed to you. Build a process to review retainage receivable monthly and chase collections when projects hit their release milestones.
If your current bookkeeping doesn’t separate retainage or track it by job, it’s worth fixing now rather than waiting until year end. The Nampa bookkeeping services we provide include proper setup for contractors who need job-level tracking. A few hours of cleanup now saves confusion later and gives you financials that actually reflect your business.
The Treasure Valley's Tax and Accounting Team
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