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

For Massachusetts, public project retainage cap (%) is 5%; private project retainage cap (%) is 5% (contracts ≥$3M, excluding residential 1–4 units); release deadline is not later than 14 days after substantial completion, notice submitted; retainage due per contract terms; escrow required is no; milestone reduction is none, recorded from its source on 2026-08-17.

- **State:** Massachusetts
- **Public project retainage cap (%):** 5%
- **Private project retainage cap (%):** 5% (contracts ≥$3M, excluding residential 1–4 units)
- **Release deadline:** not later than 14 days after substantial completion, notice submitted; retainage due per contract terms
- **Escrow required:** no _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Milestone reduction:** none
- **Statutory citation:** Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 29F _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> No contract for construction shall include retainage that exceeds 5 per cent of any progress payment.

## Source

- https://codes.findlaw.com/ma/part-i-administration-of-the-government-ch-1-182/ma-gen-laws-ch-149-sect-29f/

Last verified: 2026-08-17. Review by: 2027-08-17.
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/).