Alaska Retainage Guide and FAQs

Ready? Build Your Free Alaska
Retainage Now

Make Your Retainage Demand Now
Alaska Retainage FAQs

Alaska Retainage Overview

Alaska Retainage Requirements


Retainage Unregulated Icon
Retainage Limit

Not Regulated by State Law


Payment Period Not Regulated Icon
Pay Period

Not Regulated by State Law


NO
PROCESS
There's No Process to Recover

Not specified


No Escrow Icon
Not Held In Escrow

In Alaska, contractors and owners do not need to hold retainage funds in a separate escrow account.

Retainage icon
Retainage Amount

Determined by contract.


Payment Period 8 Days Icon
8 Day Pay Period

A subcontractor must receive retainage 8 working days after receiving final payment from the state or political subdivision OR 90 days from the last date in which the subcontractor performed labor or furnished materials - whichever is later. Subcontractors must release retainage within 8 days of receiving retainage themselves.<br />


NO
PROCESS
There is no process to recover

No specific notice required, process to be set forth by contract.

Retainage serves two general purposes: (1) To provide an incentive to the contractor or subcontractor to complete the project; and (2) To give the owner some protection against problems like liens, contractual defaults, delays, and more.  In most states, laws exist to regulate how the parties use the retainage concept, mostly protecting some parties against abuse of the tool from others. The following are resources, legal information, and frequently asked questions about Alaska’s retainage requirements. The Alaska retainage statutes are reproduced below on this page.

Alaska Retainage Frequently Asked Questions

Alaska Retainage Private Projects FAQs

Does Alaska limit the amount of retainage that can be withheld from a contractor?

Not specified in the Alaska retainage statute.

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

How long can a party withhold retainage in Alaska?

Not specified in the Alaska retainage statute.

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

Does Alaska require retained funds be deposited in a special account? Can securities be substituted for retainage?

Not specified in the Alaska retainage statute.

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

How can I make a claim to recover retainage in Alaska?

Not specified in the Alaska retainage statute.

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

Is there a specific notice required to recover retainage in Alaska?

Not specified in the Alaska retainage statute.

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

Alaska Retainage Public Projects FAQs

Does Alaska limit the amount of retainage that can be withheld from a contractor?

No, Alaska’s statutory provisions provide no limit on the amount of retainage that can be withheld. This is usually a term that is negotiated contractually.

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

How long can a party withhold retainage in Alaska?

Alaska’s statutory provisions concerning retainage on public projects provide that a prime contractor must pay its subcontractor all retainage due under the subcontract within 8 working days after receiving final payment from the state or political subdivision OR 90 days from the last date in which the subcontractor performed labor or furnished materials, whichever is later.

A subcontractor must its subcontractor within 8 working days after receiving its share of the state-held retainage from the prime contractor or another subcontractor.

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

Does Alaska require retained funds be deposited in a special account? Can securities be substituted for retainage?

There is no requirement as to how retained funds should be treated nor is there a provision allowing for the substitute of retainage. This should be stipulated in your contract.

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

How can I make a claim to recover retainage in Alaska?

This process should be outlined in your contract in detail. If your contract does not highlight such a process, the best route would be to send a sufficient notice to the party withholding retainage and follow up from there. Alaskan Law does not provide a specific way for claiming recovery of retainage.  

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

Is there a specific notice required to recover retainage in Alaska?

No specific notice is required to recover retainage in Alaska. This may be outlined in your contract.

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

Need More Help with Alaska Retainage? We're Here.

Ask an expert for free

Check out our payment experts
Construction attorneys: Courtney Stricklen, Christopher Ng, Andrea Goldman, and Peter Ryan

Alaska Retainage
Recent Questions & Answers

How to file a lien in Alaska

Need to file a Alaska mechanics lien? File your mechanics lien with Levelset, the lien experts quickly and easily. Or you can follow the 3 steps below to file a lien yourself with Levelset’s free information.
File with the Mechanics Lien Experts
Product screenshot suggesting a found material supplier on a project details screen.
We’re the Mechanics Lien experts. With us it’s fast, easy, affordable, and done right!
File Now

Want to Learn More about How Alaska Contractors Pay?
Catamount Constructors, Inc.
Rating 5.0
Rockford Construction
Rating 5.0
Ryan Construction Services LLC
Rating 5.0
SPD Construction LLC
Rating 5.0
See other Lists of Contractors and How to Best Work With Them

Alaska Retainage Statutes

Getting informed about prompt payment laws is important. An examination of Alaska’s retainage laws, the rules and regulations related to the amount and timing of allowable retained payments, is important to know your rights and responsibilities as a party on a construction project. Alaska’s specific laws can be found in: AS § 36.90.250 and § 45.45.010, and are reproduced below.

Retainage Statute on Private Projects

N/A

Alaska does not have a statute outlining retainage for private projects.

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

Retainage Statute on Public Projects

§ 36.90.210. Required contractual terms

(a) The prime contractor and a subcontractor on a public construction or public works contract must include in a subcontract between the prime contractor and subcontractor for the public construction or public works a clause that requires the prime contractor to pay
(1) the subcontractor for satisfactory performance under the subcontract within eight working days after receiving payment from which the subcontractor is to be paid;
(2) the subcontractor all retainage due under the subcontract within eight working days after final payment is received from the state or political subdivision or after the notice period under AS 36.25.020(b) expires, whichever is later;
(3) the subcontractor interest on an amount that is not paid in accordance with (1) of this subsection for the period beginning on the day after the required payment date and ending on the day on which payment of the amount due is made; the interest shall be computed at an interest rate that is equal to the amount set out in AS 45.45.010(a);
(4) interest on retainage withheld from the subcontractor at an interest rate that is equal to the amount set out in AS 45.45.010(a).
(b) A subcontractor on a public construction or public works contract must include in each subcontract under which a person agrees to provide the subcontractor with services, other than as an employee, or supplies to be used in the public construction or public works project a clause that requires the subcontractor to pay
(1) the person for satisfactory performance under the subcontract within eight working days after receiving payment from which the person is to be paid;
(2) the person all retainage due under the subcontract with the person within eight working days after the subcontractor receives its share of the state-held retainage from the prime contractor or another subcontractor;
(3) the person interest on an amount that is not paid in accordance with (1) of this subsection for the period beginning on the day after the required payment date and ending on the day on which payment of the amount due is made; the interest shall be computed at an interest rate that is equal to the amount set out in AS 45.45.010(a);
(4) interest on retainage withheld from the person at an interest rate that is equal to the amount set out in AS 45.45.010(a).

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

§ 36.90.250. Retainage

(a) The state or a political subdivision of the state shall pay to the prime contractor interest on retainage, including warranty retainage, on a contract for public construction or public works at an interest rate that is equal to the amount set out in AS 45.45.010(a). Interest on retainage accrues from the date of approval of a pay request until the date of payment to the contractor.
(b) A political subdivision that has a population of 500 or less is exempt from the payment of interest under (a) of this section.

Summary
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Article Name
Alaska Retainage FAQs
Description
Summary of Alaska Retainage requirements and laws for Alaska construction projects including free forms, FAQs, resources and more.
Author
Publisher Name
Levelset
Publisher Logo

Trusted by Thousands of Alaska Contractors Like You
For Help With Retainage