Retainage stays frozen until the Affidavit clears

On a Washington public works job the awarding agency is not permitted to release retainage until an approved Affidavit of Wages Paid is on file. Check any company against L&I's published record.

Retainage stays frozen until the Affidavit clears

On a Washington public works job the awarding agency is not permitted to release retainage until an approved Affidavit of Wages Paid is on file. Check any company against L&I's published record.

See a sample packet

Free. No account. Searches Washington L&I’s published Intent and Affidavit files.

Every contractor and sub on a Washington public works job files a Statement of Intent before work and an Affidavit of Wages Paid after. Until the Affidavit is approved, the awarding agency is not permitted to release retainage.

What the check does
  1. Asking L&I for this company's Statements of Intent
  2. Dropping jobs too small or too recent to judge
  3. Asking the Affidavit file which of those cleared
  4. Totalling what is still held

1. Look up the company or UBI

2. See which contracts have no Affidavit

3. We prepare the closeout packet

1. Look up the company or UBI

2. See which contracts have no Affidavit

1. Look up the company or UBI

2. See which contracts have no Affidavit

3. We prepare the closeout packet

Why this happens

Nobody tells a fourth-tier sub the money was never released.

Explore pricing

Why this happens

Nobody tells a fourth-tier sub the money was never released.

Explore pricing

A $2,000,000 contract with 5% — $100,000 — held as retainage, and the Affidavit of Wages Paid marked not approved

The Affidavit is the gate

Until L&I approves the Affidavit of Wages Paid, the awarding agency is legally barred from releasing retainage.

Every contractor and every tier of sub files its own pair
A King County job: the prime contractor's affidavit is not approved, while tiers 1 to 3 below it are all approved — retainage stays held at every tier below the unapproved filing

A sub is held by the prime

Retainage on a sub’s contract is commonly held by the prime’s affidavit, not by anything the sub failed to do.

An extract of L&I's published file for intent 1282337 — company, UBI, agency, contract amount and retainage — with the affidavit row reading not on file

The record is public

Both filings are published by L&I. We read what is there and quote it back — we never guess at a number.

2,081 WA companies with a contract still open and no approved Affidavit of Wages Paid in the published file.
A $2,000,000 contract with 5% — $100,000 — held as retainage, and the Affidavit of Wages Paid marked not approved

The Affidavit is the gate

Until L&I approves the Affidavit of Wages Paid, the awarding agency is legally barred from releasing retainage.

Every contractor and every tier of sub files its own pair
A King County job: the prime contractor's affidavit is not approved, while tiers 1 to 3 below it are all approved — retainage stays held at every tier below the unapproved filing

A sub is held by the prime

Retainage on a sub’s contract is commonly held by the prime’s affidavit, not by anything the sub failed to do.

An extract of L&I's published file for intent 1282337 — company, UBI, agency, contract amount and retainage — with the affidavit row reading not on file

The record is public

Both filings are published by L&I. We read what is there and quote it back — we never guess at a number.

2,081 WA companies with a contract still open and no approved Affidavit of Wages Paid in the published file.
A $2,000,000 contract with 5% — $100,000 — held as retainage, and the Affidavit of Wages Paid marked not approved

The Affidavit is the gate

Until L&I approves the Affidavit of Wages Paid, the awarding agency is legally barred from releasing retainage.

Every contractor and every tier of sub files its own pair
A King County job: the prime contractor's affidavit is not approved, while tiers 1 to 3 below it are all approved — retainage stays held at every tier below the unapproved filing

A sub is held by the prime

Retainage on a sub’s contract is commonly held by the prime’s affidavit, not by anything the sub failed to do.

An extract of L&I's published file for intent 1282337 — company, UBI, agency, contract amount and retainage — with the affidavit row reading not on file

The record is public

Both filings are published by L&I. We read what is there and quote it back — we never guess at a number.

2,081 WA companies with a contract still open and no approved Affidavit of Wages Paid in the published file.

Features

What the $249 closeout packet contains

One contract, prepared end to end. You file it from your own My L&I account — we do not file on your behalf and we never claim to.

Get started

See a sample packet

Features

Features

What the $249 closeout packet contains

One contract, prepared end to end. You file it from your own My L&I account — we do not file on your behalf and we never claim to.

Get started

See a sample packet

Get started

See a sample packet

Contract record sheet

Intent ID, awarding agency, your own contract amount and the retainage estimate, each line sourced to L&I’s published file.

Filing checklist

The awarding agency’s public works contact, addressed and ready to send.

Release request letter

A plain letter asking the agency to confirm the retainage status on your contract, in their own procedural language.

Contract record sheet

Intent ID, awarding agency, your own contract amount and the retainage estimate, each line sourced to L&I’s published file.

Filing checklist

The awarding agency’s public works contact, addressed and ready to send.

Release request letter

A plain letter asking the agency to confirm the retainage status on your contract, in their own procedural language.

Contract record sheet

Intent ID, awarding agency, your own contract amount and the retainage estimate, each line sourced to L&I’s published file.

Filing checklist

The awarding agency’s public works contact, addressed and ready to send.

Release request letter

A plain letter asking the agency to confirm the retainage status on your contract, in their own procedural language.

Affidavit status letter

What the published file shows against your intent, and precisely which approval is missing.

Agency contact sheet

The awarding agency’s public works contact for your job, with the address the release request goes to.

Prime chain map

Who filed above you on the job and whether their affidavit cleared — usually the reason a sub’s money has not moved.

Affidavit status letter

What the published file shows against your intent, and precisely which approval is missing.

Agency contact sheet

The awarding agency’s public works contact for your job, with the address the release request goes to.

Prime chain map

Who filed above you on the job and whether their affidavit cleared — usually the reason a sub’s money has not moved.

Affidavit status letter

What the published file shows against your intent, and precisely which approval is missing.

Agency contact sheet

The awarding agency’s public works contact for your job, with the address the release request goes to.

Prime chain map

Who filed above you on the job and whether their affidavit cleared — usually the reason a sub’s money has not moved.

Questions

Plain answers about what this is, what it is not, and where the numbers come from

Longer version, with the statute quoted: why Washington retainage release is blocked.

Questions

Plain answers about what this is, what it is not, and where the numbers come from

Longer version, with the statute quoted: why Washington retainage release is blocked.

Is this real, or is it a scam?

Where does the number come from?

Does a row mean I did something wrong?

Do you file the Affidavit for me?

Are you L&I, or working for the agency?

Is this real, or is it a scam?

Where does the number come from?

Does a row mean I did something wrong?

Do you file the Affidavit for me?

Are you L&I, or working for the agency?