Put the cash locked in your holdbacks back to work.
Subtrade Capital Corp. advances against statutory holdbacks on bonded Alberta construction projects. Holdback (also called statutory holdback or retainage) is the portion of each progress payment the statute requires the payor to retain until the release conditions are met.
You finished the work. You sent a proper invoice. The statute still holds 10%. We finance that gap so you can use money you have already earned.
Holdback in 90 seconds
Where the 10% goes.
How statutory holdback traps working capital on completed and paid invoices, and how Subtrade Capital Corp. advances against it.
Subject to underwriting. Not an offer. Illustrative figures only.
What we do
Holdback advances for trade subcontractors.
We lend against the holdback that builds on each proper invoice. The work behind that invoice is done. We advance after the invoice is submitted and paid by the general contractor with the mandatory 10% retained, before the Certificate of Substantial Completion is issued.
We do not advance against work in progress, estimates, or percentage-of-completion forecasts.
Bonded projects only.
How it helps you
Cash for work already done.
For a sub on a construction contract, the 10% that is held back is often the profit on the job, stuck while payroll, materials, and the next mobilization still need cash now. We get you access to it.
Banks typically don't include holdbacks as part of an eligible receivables borrowing base calculation and factoring companies often don't like holdbacks because of their contingent nature. Subtrade underwrites the receivable and the borrower.
You keep working. We put liquidity against the portion the statute has trapped.
Who this is for
Trade subcontractors on bonded projects.
Designed for established subcontractors delivering bonded, non-residential work, in good standing and with a verifiable performance history.
- Projects: Bonded only (performance and labour & material payment bonds from a recognized surety).
- Out of scope: Residential and upstream oil & gas.
When you apply
A simple path.
- You apply Through our online portal.
- We check fit quickly Bonded project, completed and paid invoices, clean standing.
- If it is a fit, we ask for the file What we need to underwrite the receivable and the borrower.
- We review your file And determine if we can fund and how much.
- Funding and repayment The funds are advanced and repayment is tied to the holdback release proceeds.
Additional collateral may be required in certain instances.
Capital tool
See how an advance could help.
Use our capital tool to explore how unlocking holdback can free working capital for payroll, materials, and the next mobilization. Run a quick scenario, then decide whether to apply.
Ready to talk about how we can help free up the capital you can't access today?
Send in an application or reach out, and we'll connect with you.