Retention Tracking, Valuation & Variation Software

The Problem

Retention is the money you have already earned and are least likely to chase. It is held a line at a time across every valuation, released in two stages months apart, and usually tracked in a spreadsheet nobody updates once the job leaves site — so it quietly ages out.

What Changes

A retention ledger per contract: total held to date, the first moiety due at practical completion, the second due at the end of the defects liability period, and whether each release is not started, due or overdue. Valuation schedules, the variation register and applied vs certified values sit on the same record, so the retention figure follows the valuations rather than being retyped.

Retention ledger per contract with both moiety release datesValuation schedules with period remindersVariation register and compensation eventsApplied vs certified value with variance notes

How It Works

Start with the money already earned and still held, then keep the valuations, variations and evidence that produce it tied to the job.

1
Open the retention ledger on the contract
Set the retention percentage, practical completion date and defects liability period on the contract. The tracker then shows total retention held, the first moiety due at practical completion and the second due at the end of the defects liability period, with each contract flagged as not started, due or overdue across the whole portfolio.
2
Set the valuation schedule
Define key dates per job so you know what’s due and when to prepare it — and so each period’s retention deduction lands on a valuation rather than being remembered later.
3
Record progress
Capture progress by period and keep supporting notes/evidence attached to the valuation record.
4
Track variations
Maintain a clean variation register so change is captured consistently and nothing is forgotten at application time.
The Variations register on “M62 Junction Improvements” — Original Contract £2,450,000, Applied Variation Value £43,265.50 and Forecast Final Account £2,493,265.50 across the top, then NEC variations VO-105 “Acceleration measure — weekend working request” £11,270, VO-104 “Revised manhole cover loading to D400” £4,738 and VO-103 “Upgrade pump set to duty/standby per Severn Trent comment” £25,990, each Awaiting Approval with its applied value and the person who raised it.
5
Link to applications for payment
Turn valuations into consistent application packs and track applied vs certified values.
6
Forecast commercial position
See what’s outstanding, what’s agreed, and what’s at risk so you can act early.
The cross-job Applications for Payment dashboard giving the forward commercial picture — Total Applied £16,917,178 against Total Certified £14,336,330 with the £2,580,848 variance and how many applications are awaiting action, plus an applied-vs-certified bar chart across twelve months so you can see what should land versus what is still to be agreed.

Features That Move The Needle

Built for high-stakes construction workflows: deadlines, compliance, and audit trails.

Retention ledger per contract

Total held, first moiety and second moiety on one row per contract, with a release status you can filter — so retention stops being a spreadsheet nobody opens after the job leaves site.

Release dates worked out from the contract

Practical completion date and defects liability period drive the two release dates, so you know which contracts are due and which are already overdue.

Valuation schedule + reminders

Stop missing valuation dates and avoid reactive, last-minute packs.

Variation register

Capture change consistently so you don’t lose entitlement in the noise.

Applied vs certified visibility

Understand variances quickly and keep the reasoning in the record.

Exports and reporting

Share clear summaries internally and with clients when needed.

Audit trails

Support dispute resolution with timestamped evidence of changes and approvals.

Commercial continuity

Keep valuation history so teams can pick up jobs without losing context.

Cashflow visibility

Forecast what should land vs what’s stuck so you can chase smartly.

Seen enough?

Start a 14-day free trial — you won’t be charged until it ends, or book 15 minutes with Rich (the founder) to walk through your exact workflow.

Why It Works

Keep valuation schedules, variation registers and retention tracking in one place so the commercial picture is always current. Every change is documented line by line with timestamps, reducing disputes and keeping applied vs certified values clear for the whole team.

Site Samurai — Purpose-built for QS teams

Every variation captured and tracked

Unlimited

Users on every plan

14-day

Free trial — cancel anytime

Line-by-line

Valuation + variation tracking

Who It’s For

Quantity Surveyors (QS)
Commercial Managers
Project Managers supporting progress records
Directors tracking cashflow and risk
Teams managing variations/retention

Already using Site Samurai? Jump to the module features and workflows your team needs.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions teams ask before they book a demo.

Retention is a percentage of each valuation the payer holds back as security that the work will be completed and defects made good. The industry norm is that half is released at practical completion and the balance on certification of making good at the end of the defects liability period, though the contract particulars govern. It is money you have already earned, held for months, and it is the line most often lost when the job leaves site.

Set the retention percentage, practical completion date and defects liability period on the contract. The tracker then shows total retention held, the first moiety due at practical completion and the second due at the end of the defects liability period, and marks each contract as not started, half due, overdue or fully released across the whole portfolio. It tracks and flags — it does not chase the client for you.

A valuation is the assessment of work completed and value due in a period. It often feeds into your interim application for payment and provides the commercial basis for certification.

A valuation is the internal/commercial assessment of value; the application is the formal submission to request payment based on that valuation and any contract requirements.

Yes. Keep a variation register and retention tracker so each period’s valuation and application stays consistent and complete.

Yes. Track what you applied for versus what was certified so you can understand variances and keep the reasoning documented.

Yes. Export clear valuation summaries for internal reporting and client conversations as needed.

Yes. Valuations flow into a consistent application process so you don’t rebuild the pack every month.