Escrow Holdbacks, Contingencies, and Reserves: Protecting Cash Flow in a Construction Loan

You can build a gorgeous home and still lose sleep every month if the cash flow on your construction loan is shaky. I’ve sat at kitchen tables with owners who ran out of money right before drywall, and I’ve helped others sail through the finish line because they set up holdbacks, contingencies, and reserves the right way. This is the practical guide I wish everyone had before they break ground—how to use escrow holdbacks, contingencies, and reserves to protect cash flow from day one through final payment.

Why cash flow—not profit—kills projects

Profit isn’t what sinks builds. Timing does. Material deposits come due before draws hit. Inspectors don’t always arrive when you expect. Weather pushes exterior work into the next season. Subs want payment net-15, lenders fund net-20. If you don’t build in buffers, the project manager’s full-time job becomes triaging who gets paid first.

Three tools stabilize that: escrow holdbacks, contingencies, and reserves. They sound similar, but each solves a different cash gap:

• Escrow holdbacks protect finishing and compliance risk (things not yet done).
• Contingencies protect cost risk (things that cost more than planned).
• Reserves protect timing risk (carrying costs and operations while draws trickle).

Use them together and you get a shock absorber system for your loan.

Quick definitions without the jargon

• Escrow holdback: Money the lender or title company withholds until a specific item is completed or proven. Think “punch list, exterior landscaping after winter, final CO, lien clearance.” Release is tied to an outcome, not a date.

• Contingency: A budget line set aside for unknowns and overruns within the construction scope. Not for upgrades you decide to add later. Different types include owner contingency, contractor contingency, design contingency, and escalation contingency.

• Reserve: Money set aside to carry the project—interest, taxes, insurance, and sometimes operating costs. Reserves keep you from pulling cash out of pocket when drawn funds are slow or not yet available.

A simple analogy:

• Contingency is your spare tire.
• Reserves are your gas and oil.
• Holdbacks are the toll booth that only opens when you show a receipt.

How construction loan money actually moves

Before we dive into each tool, it helps to understand how lenders release funds. The general pattern is:

1. You submit a draw request with a schedule of values (SOV), invoices, photos, and Lien Waivers.
2. The lender orders an inspection (or uses third-party).
3. The inspector validates percent complete.
4. Title is updated to check for liens.
5. The lender wires funds, minus retainage and any holdbacks.

Typical timelines and costs I see on residential and light commercial projects:

• Draw inspection: 3–7 business days scheduling + 24–72 hours for the report.
• Title update: 24–48 hours.
• Wire processing: 1–2 business days.
• Total draw cycle: 7–15 business days on average.
• Fees:
• Residential inspection: $150–$350 per draw; commercial: $500–$1,200.
• Title update: $75–$200 per draw.
• Wire fees: $15–$50 each.
• Some lenders charge a per-draw admin fee: $50–$200.

Retainage is common—5% to 10% held back from each progress payment until substantial completion (or until final completion on some loans). It’s separate from escrow holdbacks at the end.

Cash flow implication: if you pay subs net-15 but your draws fund in net-20 or net-25, you’ll need either working capital, stored-materials draws, or reserves to bridge the gap.

Escrow holdbacks: when and how to use them

Escrow holdbacks are most effective when a specific item can’t be completed before funding or closing, or when the lender wants extra assurance. Common scenarios:

• Seasonal work: Landscaping, driveways, exterior painting delayed by weather.
• Punch list: Small items after substantial completion (door adjustments, cracked tile swap).
• Permits or final CO: Lingering final inspection or utility sign-offs.
• Repairs on purchase loans: You’re buying a property with required repairs after closing.
• Lien clearance: Funds held until all lien waivers and title are clean.
• Warranty/performance holdbacks: Rare in small residential but common in commercial.

How much gets held back?

Typical ranges I’ve seen:

• Seasonal or small completion items: 1.5x to 2.0x the estimated cost of the remaining work. If the landscape contract shows $12,000 in uncompleted work, the holdback might be $18,000.
• Final completion/punch: 5% to 10% of the contract balance.
• Repair escrows on purchase loans: Often 1.5x the bids; FHA and some agencies follow similar multipliers.
• Permitting/CO: Enough to motivate completion—often a defined percentage or a specific dollar amount tied to jurisdiction requirements.

Why the multiplier? If the original contractor walks, you’ll pay a premium to finish. The extra buffer covers mobilization, scheduling delays, and price increases.

Who holds it and how it’s released

• Held by: lender, title company, or attorney escrow depending on state and lender policy.
• Release conditions: Usually proof of completion (photos, invoice), final inspection, and clean title update.
• Release timing: 2–10 business days after documentation, depending on who holds the funds.

Pro tip from projects I’ve run: negotiate partial release based on milestones. For example, for a driveway pushed to spring, ask for 50% released upon base prep before winter, 50% after asphalt is placed in April. Lenders often agree if you provide a clear schedule and a contractor commitment in writing.

Real-world examples

1) Custom home, Midwest winter

• Remaining exterior scope: driveway and landscaping, estimated $25,000.
• Lender holdback: 1.75x = $43,750.
• Funds escrowed by title company.
• Release: 50% when base stone is installed and inspected before freeze; 50% after asphalt and landscape complete in April.
• Cash flow effect: GC keeps crews moving inside without carrying the entire exterior cost through winter.

2) Purchase loan with required roof repair

• Bid to replace roof: $14,200.
• Holdback: 1.5x = $21,300 at closing.
• Release: paid directly to roofer upon final invoice and city inspection approval.
• Borrower benefit: deal closes on time; retains funds to guarantee roof gets done within 30 days.

3) Final CO holdback on a spec home

• Lender holds $30,000 until final CO and all lien waivers are delivered.
• Release took 7 business days after CO issued.
• Pro move: submit lien waivers for all subs with the CO packet so the title update matches.

Common mistakes with holdbacks

• Underestimating the remaining cost: Always include tax, permit fees, mobilization, and seasonal premiums.
• Vague release conditions: Write the condition like a checklist—“City final inspection passed, invoice paid, unconditional lien waivers received.”
• Assuming funds release the same day: Build 7–10 days into your cash flow calendar.
• Letting punch list balloon: Cap the punch list work value and make sure it’s tied to a schedule; otherwise, subs go missing.

Contingencies: your buffer against the unknown

Contingency isn’t “extra money to make the kitchen nicer.” It’s there for scope within the drawings that ends up costing more than estimated due to unknowns, omissions, or market shifts.

Types of contingency

• Owner contingency: Controlled by the owner; used for unforeseen conditions or cost overruns. On lender-financed projects, this is usually visible in the budget and sometimes restricted by the loan agreement.
• Contractor contingency: Included in a GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price) by the GC to handle trade-level unknowns. Govern carefully so it doesn’t become a slush fund.
• Design contingency: Early-phase projects (SD/DD) carry this because drawings aren’t fully coordinated yet. As design matures, it should shrink.
• Escalation contingency: Covers price increases during long procurement tails or volatile markets (lumber, electrical gear, HVAC equipment).

How much to carry?

As a starting point from my own deal files and lender reviews:

• Ground-up single-family with complete plans: 5%–10% of hard costs.
• Renovations with known scope: 10%–15%.
• Historic or gut rehabs: 15%–25%.
• Early design or complex MEP: add 3%–5% design contingency.
• Volatile materials (electrical switchgear, roofing, lumber spikes): 2%–5% escalation on affected trades.

If you’re borrowing, many lenders require a minimum contingency (often 5%–10%). If the pro forma relies on razor-thin contingency, expect pushback.

Rules that keep contingency from evaporating

• No upgrades. If you decide midstream to switch to quartzite, that’s an owner change order, not contingency.
• Document the reason. Every draw against contingency gets a cause code: unforeseen, code requirement, design coordination, escalation, error/omission.
• Require approval. Set a threshold (e.g., anything above $5,000 needs written approval from the owner and lender).
• Replenish when possible. If bids come in under budget, top up contingency to your target percentage before declaring “savings.”

Example: sizing contingency realistically

Project: $1,200,000 custom home

• Hard costs: $1,000,000
• Soft costs: $200,000
• Suggested contingency (10% of hard): $100,000
• Add 3% escalation on electrical and roofing due to long lead times: $18,000
• Total planned contingency bucket: $118,000

Cash flow play: keep escalation tracked separately so you can release it early if purchase orders lock prices.

Where contingency often gets used

• Dirt surprises: unsuitable soils, over-excavation, extra fill. I see $5k–$25k swings often.
• Structural fixes: beams that need upsizing after demo reveals long spans.
• Utility taps: municipal fees and trenching rarely match early estimates.
• Plan coordination misses: light fixture counts, venting conflicts, shower waterproofing upgrades required by inspector.

Warning signs your contingency is too small

• Heavily renovated or historic structure with only visual inspection pre-demo.
• Foundation work near large trees or old fill sites.
• Early-phase design or a builder unfamiliar with the jurisdiction’s code requirements.
• Aggressive value engineering without manufacturer-approved alternates.

Reserves: covering the time lag

Reserves keep the project solvent while you wait for draws or lease-up. Think of them as a breathing apparatus.

Types you’ll encounter:

• Interest reserve: Funds set aside within the loan to pay monthly interest during construction.
• Tax and insurance escrow: Lender-controlled account to pay property taxes and builder’s risk premiums.
• Operating reserve: On income-producing projects, a cushion to cover expenses until you hit stabilized occupancy. Often 3–6 months of operating expenses and debt service.
• Replacement reserve: For long-term holds (multifamily/commercial), a per-unit annual amount for future capital items (roofs, HVAC). Typical lender underwriting uses $250–$350 per unit per year for standard apartments; adjust for property type.

How lenders calculate interest reserves

Interest accrues only on drawn amounts. A common approach is to estimate the draw curve, then calculate monthly interest. Example:

• Loan amount: $900,000
• Rate: 8.25% interest-only (assume Prime + margin)
• Duration: 12 months
• Draw curve: 10% month 1, then 10% monthly for 9 months, final 10% month 10 (punch/outside months have minimal draw)

Approximate interest reserve:

• Month 1: $90,000 drawn x 8.25% / 12 ≈ $619
• Month 2: $180,000 x 8.25% / 12 ≈ $1,238
• …
• Peak month (after 10 months): $900,000 x 8.25% / 12 ≈ $6,188
• Sum months 1–12 ≈ $33,000–$36,000 (depending on exact timing)

Most lenders round up and add a cushion. I often see 6–12 months of estimated interest reserved. If your project runs long, you’ll need to fund interest out-of-pocket once the reserve is exhausted.

Budgeting for other reserves

• Taxes and insurance: If billed semiannually or annually, the lender might collect monthly into escrow. Budget premiums upfront, plus a cushion for mid-year increases.
• Operating reserve (development deals): 3–6 months of expenses and debt service. Example for a 12-townhome lease-up:
• Monthly operating expenses at stabilization: $18,000
• Debt service after conversion: $45,000
• 4 months reserve: $252,000

Cash flow tip: negotiate to fund operating reserves from cost savings or at Certificate Of Occupancy, not day one, if the lender will allow it.

How money flows during draws: a simple, visual example

Let’s say your schedule of values for a $1,000,000 hard cost budget breaks into 10 draws at roughly $100,000 each.

• Retainage: 10% held each draw = $10,000 retained. Over 9 draws, you’ve got $90,000 in retainage parked.
• Final draw: $100,000 (including punch), plus release of the $90,000 retainage—if all lien waivers and final inspections are clean.
• Interest reserve covers monthly interest so you’re not writing a check when cash is tight.
• Escrow holdback for exterior work: $30,000 parked until spring.
• Contingency: $100,000—used incrementally as surprises emerge.

What you learn on the ground: retainage plus seasonal holdbacks can easily total 12%–20% of your hard costs in the final weeks. If you don’t plan for it, your checking account takes the hit when you should be focusing on finishes.

Negotiating and documenting with your lender

Most lenders are more flexible than borrowers realize—if you present a thoughtful plan. Ask early, in writing.

What to request:

• Material-only draws for long-lead items. Provide purchase orders, vendor invoices, and proof of stored materials (warehouse receipts, photos, insurance certificates). Many lenders will fund 50%–90% for stored materials if they’re insured and titled properly.
• Early release for seasonal work. Propose a two-stage holdback release with clear milestones.
• Faster draw cycles. Offer to use a reputable digital inspection platform, submit draw by mid-month, and provide same-day lien waivers to shave days off the cycle.
• Lower retainage after 50% completion. Some lenders allow retainage to drop from 10% to 5% once a project reaches defined completion (with bond or SDI in place).
• Joint checks. For critical suppliers (trusses, windows), ask for joint checks to vendors to alleviate lender’s risk and secure your draw.
• Mobilization line item. A 5%–7% mobilization item helps the GC ramp up without front-loading other lines that lenders hate.

What to show the lender:

• A well-structured budget with distinct lines for contingency, escalation, stored materials, and seasonals.
• The draw calendar aligned with your construction schedule.
• Proof you can manage lien releases: sample conditional and unconditional waivers, subcontractor list, and a title update plan.
• Insurance certificates (builder’s risk, GL) and, if applicable, performance/payment bonds or SDI.

Sample language you can adapt when asking for seasonal holdback terms: “We propose a $24,000 holdback for exterior paint and landscaping, to be released 50% upon completion of base prep and primer before December 1, and 50% upon final completion and inspection by April 30, weather permitting. We will provide invoices, photos, and unconditional waivers at each milestone.”

Case studies that mirror real jobsite headaches

1) Custom home with winter holdback and tight finishes

• Budget: $950,000 hard costs, $150,000 softs; 10% contingency ($95,000).
• Issue: Exterior paint and driveway delayed by December snow.
• Solution: $36,000 escrow holdback (1.8x remaining cost). Retainage dropped from 10% to 5% at 60% completion due to clean inspection history and SDI proof.
• Cash flow hiccup: Cabinet vendor required 50% deposit ($20,000) at order. Lender funded stored materials at 75% with vendor insurance and UCC filing.
• Outcome: Cabinetry kept on schedule, no out-of-pocket deposit, and exterior items completed in April with two-step holdback release.

Takeaway: Don’t be shy about stored-materials draws. If you protect title and insure materials, lenders often say yes.

2) 12-townhome development with interest and operating reserves

• Budget: $4.8M hard, $800k soft, $500k operating reserve, $400k interest reserve.
• Issue: Electrical switchgear lead times ballooned from 14 to 36 weeks.
• Solution: Early PO and drawing on stored-materials line kept units on schedule. Negotiated an escalation contingency of 3% on MEP trades and locked pricing with deposits funded via joint checks.
• Cash flow trick: Interest reserve sized at 9 months based on revised draw curve, not the original 6-month plan.
• Outcome: No mid-project capital call, faster lease-up because gear arrived in time, and operating reserve covered 4 months of lease-up until 90% occupancy.

Takeaway: Interest reserve sizing should follow your draw curve, not a rule-of-thumb month count. Update it when lead times change.

3) Renovation using a 203(k)-style repair escrow

• Purchase price: $310,000; Repairs: $65,000; Contingency: 15% ($9,750).
• Structure: Repair escrow held at 1.5x for exterior work pending HOA approvals.
• Issue: During demo, found termite damage in sill plate—add $6,200.
• Solution: Used owner contingency with lender approval; provided photos and revised bid within 48 hours.
• Outcome: Closed on time, finished in 60 days, escrow released in two tranches after inspection.

Takeaway: Renovation contingencies under 10% are wishful thinking. Aim for 10%–20% depending on age and visibility of structure.

Step-by-step: set this up before you close

1) Lock the scope and drawings

• Finalize plans, specifications, and allowances. Every vague allowance is a future fight; be explicit.

2) Build a real schedule of values (SOV)

• Break it down by trade and phase. Include line items for mobilization, stored materials, escalation contingency, owner contingency, seasonal work, and punch.

3) Level the bids

• Compare apples to apples. Confirm inclusions: freight, sales tax, temp heat, waste, permits, equipment rental. I see 2%–4% surprises here when someone forgot freight.

4) Size your buffers

• Contingency: 5%–25% depending on project type.
• Interest reserve: build it from your draw curve.
• Operating reserve (if leasing up): 3–6 months.
• Seasonal holdbacks: identify items and cost them now.

5) Pre-negotiate lender terms

• Ask for stored-materials funding thresholds and documents, retainage schedule, draw timing commitments, and seasonal holdback release steps.

6) Line up your draw package templates

• AIA G702/G703 or lender form, conditional/unconditional lien waivers, sworn statements, supplier list, insurance certificates, W-9s, and photos checklist.

7) Open a dedicated project account

• Keep owner equity injections and contingency in a separate account. Track draws in/out weekly. Don’t mix with personal or operating funds.

8) Insure and secure stored materials

• Warehouse receipts, proof of insurance, and UCC filings where required. Lenders relax when they know materials are protected and identifiable.

Your monthly playbook during construction

• Week 1: Forecast the draw. Walk the site, verify percent complete with the GC, and update the S-curve.
• Week 2: Prep the draw package. Collect invoices, subs’ conditional waivers, title update request, and photos with date stamps.
• Week 3: Submit draw. Follow up with the inspector; provide clarifications within 24 hours.
• Week 4: Funds arrive. Pay subs in order of impact on critical path. Swap conditional waivers for unconditional upon payment.

Repeat every month like clockwork. A few more habits I recommend:

• Track retainage by trade. Subs forget what’s retained; showing the number builds trust.
• Forecast EAC (Estimate at Completion) monthly. If contingency will drop under 3%, pause non-critical purchases and re-scope.
• Maintain a risk log. Weather, long-lead items, inspection backlogs—each should have an owner and a mitigation plan.

Retainage versus escrow holdback: don’t confuse the two

• Retainage is gradual—kept from every progress pay app to ensure quality and completion. It belongs to whoever it’s retained from (often the GC from subs, and the lender from the borrower).
• Escrow holdback is usually a discrete pot tied to specific incomplete items or compliance conditions and is released when that item is done.
• You can have both at once. Plan for the stack effect near project end.

State laws sometimes cap retainage (particularly on public work) and set rules for release timing. Even on private jobs, local norms matter. If you’re seeing 10% retainage in a market where most lenders allow 5%, ask for alignment.

Handling long-lead materials without draining cash

• Place POs early and negotiate staged deposits tied to manufacturing milestones.
• Use joint checks and title to stored materials.
• Provide manufacturer letters and factory photos; inspectors like clear evidence.
• Ask for a separate stored-materials line in the SOV so you’re not inflating other categories.

Materials commonly funded as stored:

• Custom windows and doors
• Trusses and engineered lumber
• Electrical switchgear/transformers
• HVAC equipment
• Elevators
• Cabinetry and millwork

Typical lender comfort range: 50%–90% funded, depending on custody and insurance proof. If materials sit offsite, be ready with warehousing details and a certificate naming lender as loss payee.

Change orders: when to use contingency and when not to

• Use contingency for: unforeseen conditions, code-mandated changes, errors/omissions, price variance on like-for-like scope.
• Do not use contingency for: elective upgrades (different finishes, added features), scope expansion beyond agreed drawings, owner design changes.
• Paper trail: Change order form with description, cause code, price, and time impact. Lenders often require pre-approval above a threshold (e.g., $2,500–$10,000 per CO).

A tip that saves headaches: maintain a live “approved but not yet drawn” list of change orders. Tie each CO to the draw month you expect to bill it.

Lien waivers and title—keep the chain clean

Draws stall more over lien problems than any other admin item. Keep this clean:

• Always collect conditional waivers with the draw, unconditional after payment clears.
• Use the right form for your state; some have statutory language.
• Track second-tier subs and suppliers. Ask the GC for a full payee list and match waivers to payments.
• Get a title update with each draw to catch any recorded liens early. Clearing a lien can take weeks; prevention is everything.

If a sub demands a big deposit, consider a joint check or direct payment through escrow with a conditional waiver attached.

Insurance and surety as backstops

• Builder’s risk: covers materials on site and sometimes in transit. Many lenders require it; make sure stored materials offsite are endorsed.
• General liability: standard, but confirm limits.
• Payment and performance bonds (P&P): more common in commercial; they can justify lower retainage since they guarantee completion and payment.
• Subcontractor Default Insurance (SDI): An alternative to bonding; not typical on small residential but a strong tool for mid-sized projects.

Having P&P or SDI in place strengthens your case when negotiating retainage reductions and stored-materials draws.

What a healthy project budget looks like (structure and lines)

• Hard costs (detailed by trade)
• Mobilization (5%–7% of hard costs if justified)
• Stored materials (trade-specific or a global category, depending on lender)
• General conditions and supervision
• Contingency (owner and/or contractor)
• Escalation contingency (for volatile trades)
• Interest reserve (modeled from draw curve)
• Taxes and insurance escrow
• Permits and impact fees
• Design/engineering
• Surveys, special inspections, testing
• Utility fees and connections
• Seasonal holdbacks (identified items and amounts)
• Punch list/completion
• Soft cost buffer (1%–2% for admin drift—courier fees, extra title updates)

When lenders see your budget separated like this, it screams “professional,” and approvals go smoother.

Practical numbers you can borrow

• Retainage: 5%–10% typical; ask to drop to 5% after 50% completion with a clean history.
• Draw cycle time: 7–15 business days; aim for 10 by being proactive.
• Inspection fees: $150–$350 residential; $500–$1,200 commercial.
• Title updates: $75–$200 per draw.
• Seasonal holdback multiplier: 1.5x–2.0x remaining cost.
• Contingency: 5%–25% depending on project type.
• Interest reserve: 6–12 months equivalent, but right-size via draw curve.
• Operating reserve (rentals): 3–6 months of expenses and debt service.
• Replacement reserve underwriting: $250–$350 per unit per year for standard multifamily (adjust for property type and age).

Common mistakes that choke cash flow (and how to dodge them)

• Using contingency as an upgrade fund. Solution: create a separate “owner upgrades” line item with your own cash.
• No line for freight, tax, or fuel surcharges. Solution: add 1%–2% buffer to trades with heavy logistics.
• Over-reliance on one big draw. Solution: smaller, more frequent draws reduce the shock if one is delayed.
• Ignoring retainage. Solution: track cumulative retainage; plan the final weeks around the delayed cash.
• Paying huge deposits out-of-pocket. Solution: use stored-material draws and joint checks.
• Vague SOV. Solution: break it down so inspectors can verify percentage complete without argument.
• Not planning for title updates and lien waivers. Solution: embed a document checklist into your monthly draw process.
• Forgetting permits and impact fees timing. Solution: create a permit/fee calendar with due dates, then fund a dedicated line item early.

Tools and templates that actually help

• Cash flow S-curve with monthly projected draws and interest: Google Sheets or Excel, updated weekly.
• Draw checklist: invoices, conditional waivers, photos, inspection request, title update order.
• Lien waiver packet: state-specific conditional and unconditional templates, plus a log by vendor.
• Change order log: number, cause code, cost, schedule impact, approval date, draw date.
• Risk register: item, likelihood, cost impact, mitigation, owner.
• Stored-materials ledger: PO number, warehouse receipt, insurance certificate, location, release plan.

If you’re not a spreadsheet person, assign this to your GC’s project manager and review it every Friday. The best-run jobs live and die by their logs.

FAQ lightning round

• Can I earn interest on escrowed holdbacks? Sometimes title escrows bear nominal interest depending on the agreement; lender-controlled holdbacks rarely do. Ask upfront.

• Who pays inspection and title update fees? Usually the borrower via the loan budget. They show up as soft costs in your draw.

• Can I use contingency for appliances or nicer finishes? Not if they’re elective upgrades. Use a separate upgrade allowance funded by you.

• Will the lender fund deposits? Many will for stored materials with proper documentation, insurance, and custody. Without those, expect a no.

• How fast will the final holdback release? Plan for 5–10 business days after you deliver final inspection, CO, and unconditional waivers. If you need faster, warn everyone a month ahead.

• What if my interest reserve runs out? You’ll write a monthly check for interest until completion or request a loan modification, which may or may not be approved.

• How big should my owner contingency be on a remodel? If you can’t see inside walls yet, 10%–20%. If it’s a historic or termite-risk property, push toward the high end.

• Do I need payment/performance bonds? Not on most small residential jobs, but they can reduce retainage and de-risk bigger builds. Evaluate cost versus benefit.

A final set of field-tested tips

• Build the budget you’d want to inherit mid-project. If you had to step in for someone else tomorrow, could you follow the money?
• Keep contingencies visible and separate. Lenders appreciate transparency and will support responsible use.
• Treat stored materials like gold: insured, inventoried, and documented.
• Don’t let draws drift. A missed month often becomes a two-month catch-up.
• Track your retainage and seasonal holdbacks weekly during the last 20% of the job.
• Overcommunicate with your lender. Surprises slow money; early warnings speed it up.
• Save your contingency by buying time with reserves. Paying interest from a reserve so you can align draws beats raiding contingency for carry.

You don’t have to gamble with cash flow. Set clear escrow holdbacks for the things that aren’t done yet, keep a disciplined contingency for what you can’t predict, and size reserves for the delays you can predict. Do those three things well, and the jobsite stays calm, subs keep showing up, and your finish line isn’t a sprint—it’s a steady walk through a building you’re proud to hand over.