Reasonable retention for building work?

moneysavingvixen

Having building work (internal) done for the first time and currently drawing up my contract. What kind of % retention would be reasonable to keep for 1 month whilst I check for any snags after the work is completed? Thanks!

ormus

5 or 10% is pretty normal.
be aware that for smallish jobs, not many builders will accept your terms though.
i assume your job is a very large one?

moneysavingvixen

Thank you for your reply. My buillder has already agreed to a retention in principle - the job is relatively small in terms of building (kitchen: removal of internal pantry, digging up floor plus insulation etc., all plaster back to brick, false ceiling & spots, installation of new kitchen and tiling), but there's a lot of plumbing work also involved and I'd like to make sure it all works together safely first.

dander

My thought would be that the retention needs to cover the costs of getting someone else in to fix the snags if the builder doesn't do it himself. So if it's the plumbing work that you are concerned about, then maybe calculate it on a few hours of a plumber's time. The rest of the stuff you should be able to keep an eye on as it goes along and immediately sort out if you are not happy.

vaio

the JCT Minor Works used to be 10% with 5% released at practical completion and the final 5% after 6 months