Core terms · definition
A percentage of each payment (often 5–10%) the owner withholds until the project is satisfactorily completed, providing leverage to ensure the job is finished and punch-listed.
Source: Investopedia — Retainage
Where this term lands on a Columbus budget
The cost pages carry the current local ranges, and the guides explain what moves them. A published range becomes a project number only after someone looks at the site.