Why Retainage Remains a Persistent Challenge for Subs Nationwide … and What You Can Do to Manage the Risks0

• FINANCE, Legally Speaking, Payment, Risk Management
• January 27, 2026

By Eric Travers, Esq., Kegler Brown Hill + Ritter As a construction attorney with over two decades of experience working closely with subcontractors and the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), I can confidently say that retainage has been, and remains, a significant and ongoing challenge for subcontractors nationwide. The concept of retainage originated in the 1840s.