# Florida — Construction retainage limits by US state — maximum withholding percentages, release deadlines, escrow requirements, and public vs private distinctions with statutory citations

For Florida, public project retainage cap (%) is 5%; private project retainage cap (%) is no statutory cap; release deadline is same time limits for payment of a payment request apply regardless of whether the payment request is for, or includes, retainage; escrow required is no; milestone reduction is none, recorded from its source on 2026-08-15.

- **State:** Florida
- **Public project retainage cap (%):** 5%
- **Private project retainage cap (%):** no statutory cap
- **Release deadline:** same time limits for payment of a payment request apply regardless of whether the payment request is for, or includes, retainage
- **Escrow required:** no
- **Milestone reduction:** none
- **Statutory citation:** Fla. Stat. § 255.078

## What the source says

> a public entity may withhold from each progress payment made to the contractor an amount not exceeding 5 percent of the payment as retainage.

## Source

- http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0255/Sections/0255.078.html

Last verified: 2026-08-15. Review by: 2027-08-15.
Part of [Construction retainage limits by US state — maximum withholding percentages, release deadlines, escrow requirements, and public vs private distinctions with statutory citations](https://referencesource.org/construction-retainage-limits-by-state/).