Construction Retention & Recovery Services
White Weaver tracks construction retention, monitors release dates and follow up overdue amounts to improve cash flow and ensure money owed to your business is not overlooked.
Expertise Across Leading Accounting Software
Trusted by Construction Businesses Across the UK
ACCA Regulated Accountants
Professional accounting support backed by recognised industry standards.
500+ Construction Clients
Experience supporting businesses across the construction sector.
25+ Years of Construction Experience
Industry knowledge built around the financial realities of construction.
CIS & HMRC Expertise
Accurate records and support for your construction tax and compliance obligations.
Construction Focused Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping designed around projects, subcontractors, costs and cash flow.
Retention Accounting Built Around Construction
Retention can remain outstanding long after construction work has been completed. With multiple projects, practical completion dates and defects periods to monitor, it can be easy to lose track of money that is still owed to your business.
Retention amounts are difficult to track
Maintain a clear retention ledger across your projects
Release dates are easily missed
Monitor practical completion and final release dates
Clients delay retention payments
Track overdue amounts and support payment follow-up
Retentions distort cash-flow visibility
Include expected retention receipts in cash-flow forecasts
Retention records do not reconcile
Compare contract values, payment certificates and retention balances
Our Retention Services
Keep every retention balance accounted for and every payment date within view. We provide the financial oversight needed to manage outstanding retentions across your projects with greater control.
Retention Ledger
We maintain a clear record of retention amounts, contracts, release triggers and expected payment dates, helping you keep track across multiple projects.
Release Date Monitoring
We monitor practical completion dates, defects periods and retention release dates, helping you identify when payments become due.
Overdue Retention Recovery
We identify overdue retention amounts and support payment follow-up and recovery, helping you pursue money that remains outstanding.
Retention Reconciliation
We reconcile retention receivables, payment certificates, invoices and accounting records to identify discrepancies and missing amounts.
Retention Cash Flow Forecasting
We incorporate expected retention receipts into your construction cash-flow forecasts, helping you understand when outstanding money may become available.
Retention Receivables & Payables
We help account for both retention receivables and retention payables, giving you a clearer picture of amounts owed to and by your business.
Retention & CIS Reviews
We review the interaction between retention payments and CIS, including the payment status applicable when a retention is eventually released.
Retention Dispute Support
Where retention remains unpaid because of disputed defects or other contractual issues, we help organise the relevant financial records and supporting information.
The Cost of Poor Retention Tracking
Missed retention dates and incomplete records can affect cash flow and create wider compliance risks. White Weaver helps you track outstanding retentions, keep supporting records organised and stay on top of CIS and tax obligations reducing the risk of missed obligations and costly compliance issues listed below:
Recover More Of What You Are Owed
White Weaver gives you a structured view of outstanding retentions, helping you identify what is due, when it should be released and where follow-up is needed. Our construction-focused approach helps turn overlooked balances into better cash-flow visibility and stronger financial control.
- Overdue retention recovery
- Release-date monitoring
- Retention reconciliation
- Cash-flow forecasting
- Bad debt review
- Contract review support
How Our Process Works
Free Consultation & Quote
We review your projects, contracts and current retention position.
Retention Review
We reconcile outstanding balances, release dates and supporting records.
Track & Recover
We monitor upcoming releases, identify overdue amounts and support ongoing recovery.
Client Experiences
We finally have a clear view of our outstanding retentions. White Weaver helped us track each project and identify amounts that had been sitting unpaid for longer than expected.
We stopped losing track of release dates. The retention reporting gives us a much clearer view of what is due, when it is due and what needs following up.
Our cash-flow forecasting is much more realistic. We now have a clearer view of expected retention receipts and can plan our finances around actual payment timings.
Know What You Are Still Owed
Better tracking. Faster follow-up. Stronger cash flow visibility.
Get specialist retention accounting and recovery support built around your construction contracts, payment schedules and outstanding amounts.
FAQs
What is retention in construction?
Retention is an amount withheld from a construction payment and released later, usually when specified contractual conditions have been met.
How does retention accounting work?
We track the retention separately within your accounting records, monitor the relevant release conditions and reconcile amounts against your contracts and payment records.
How long can construction retention be held?
The period depends on the contract. HMRC notes that retention periods can last for years, particularly where payment is linked to completion of remedial work or the end of a defects period.
Can you track retention across multiple projects?
Yes. We can maintain a retention ledger covering live and completed projects, including amounts withheld, release triggers and expected payment dates.
Can you help recover overdue retention?
Yes. We can identify overdue amounts, organise the supporting records and assist with payment follow-up.
How does CIS apply to retention payments?
HMRC states that retention payments are treated like other payments under CIS, and whether the payment is made gross or under deduction depends on the subcontractor's payment status when the retention is actually paid.
Can you help with retention disputes?
We can help organise the financial records and supporting information relating to disputed or overdue retention, although contractual or legal disputes may require separate legal advice.
Can you account for retention amounts owed to subcontractors?
Yes. We can help track retention payables alongside retention receivables, giving you a clearer view of future amounts owed by your business.
